


Re: Incarnation Death Match

by Royalazuredeviator



Category: No Fandom, Original Work
Genre: Action/Adventure, Fantasy, Gen, Magical Realism, Mild Hurt/Comfort, No beta we die like illiterates, Original Character Death(s), Original Character(s), Original Universe
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-16
Updated: 2021-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-28 02:34:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 18
Words: 29,093
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22756354
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Royalazuredeviator/pseuds/Royalazuredeviator
Summary: Chained, with only scant knowledge of the world but blessed with mysterious powers and free to disobey the laws of nature once freed, such is the nature of Incarnation, mysterious beings of unknown nature that can be found in many hidden areas around the world.Claire, along with her two friends Ivanna and Ronan, sacrificed everything to find one of those elusive beings, hoping to participate make a name in one of the Death Matches, and hopefully earn enough reward money for themselves.Little did they know, such a simple desire sets a grand play where their pasts intertwine.Originally I posted on Webnovel under the name "Axicia_" . Currently in the process of migrating my work
Comments: 2
Kudos: 3





	1. Reunion

"Is this it?"

That simple question echoed throughout the walls of the cavern, accompanying the musty smell and the echoes of dripping water from who knows where. The rocks are slippery, no doubt from the mix of mud, moss, and water grinding on the rocks until they become far too smooth for their boots to have proper grip.

"Ivanna, we are not on a camping trip, we both know that. Even if the rumors say it is here, this whole thing is pretty much a gamble." Claire answered from the frontmost of the group. Her straight black hair, usually reaching her collarbone, were tied up in a more reasonable ponytail, allowing ease of movement. Even in the less than stellar lighting, the bags below her blue eyes are still visible, even stark, against her pale skin.

"A gamble we willingly took. It's either our life, a sore backside, or wasted time, in exchange of getting whatever Incarnation sleeps here. Besides, whoever they are, there's still no rumors about their power. We only reached this point because I know in advance people who tried to go usually die to rabid bats waiting on the shortest route to the depths, or the slippery slide in the middle of the path." Ronan, walking in the middle of Claire and Ivanna, finally spoke, whispering as to not create any more cacophony of echoes. His brown hair was matted with sweat and who knows what else, the spiky strands now limply laying down all over his head, and his amber eyes kept scanning the place around them. "I mean, imagine! Even if the Incarnation we get has low-rated power level, we can still sell-"

"Ronan, don't even think about it." Claire cut off, her voice sharp. 

"Sorry, sorry!" Ronan raised his hand. "I mean, if they're of lower level, wouldn't they see more use as research subject? Besides, the Incarnation, no matter what form you see them in, doesn't obey laws set in our world, even natural law. They aren't really 'people', Claire."

"Still, it's not right."

"Then tell me, what are you going to do if they're a low level? Use them to fight and become a laughingstock? Other participants saying that you, and by extension, us, can't even control your Incarnation?"

"You do realize that they at least have some sentience, right?"

"Okay, guys. Not this again, seriously. I get that you both have different thoughts, but we should focus on the matter at hand first." Ivanna chimed in, scratching her matted bright red hair in indignation. "Find the Incarnation, come out alive. Then, you can argue about it all you want."

"Alright, Ivanna." Ronan sighed.

"True. We have a bigger fish to fry at the moment… Wait. Stop, guys." Claire stopped walking, extending her hand towards the back to stop her two friends.

"… Damn, is this even real?"

"Real as it can be, Ronan." Claire sighed, pointing at a swirling energy vortex at the cavern wall, separated from them by a chasm almost two meters wide. In the bottom, only darkness can be seen, their flashlights not even enough to provide a hint of depth or what lurks within.

"Should we go back? I don't think this is a good idea." Ivanna said.

"Not a chance, we've spent so much just to do this."

"I second Ronan, Ivanna." Claire sighed. "Well, do we want to try our luck jumping, or try this?" Claire reached into her backpack, taking a roll of rope, with a carabiner at the end. "I bought this before we went in. Five meters, should be enough."

"I wouldn't test my luck with that, Claire. I suggest we go back now."

"I'm going." Ronan bit back a shaky breath. "Our differences aside, I have my reasons."

"Then let everyone out there know the location? We're pretty close, and I want to at least see what type of Incarnation we can get." Claire has formed a lasso, aiming for some of the stalagmite near the chasm. "You coming?"

"Dammit, fine." Ivanna sighed. "I hope we're right, or else we'll be one of those who disappeared just to look for an Incarnation to participate in the arena. One among those 'dead' statistics."

Without wasting time, Claire threw the lasso, letting it land on the stalagmite and pulled it to ensure the safety. She looked at the knot on the other side, before tying a secure knot on the nearest stalagmite on their side.

"There… and, we're done." Claire nodded. "I'm going first, or any of you taking first dibs?"

No one answered.

Claire shrugged, gave the rope one test tug, and climbed up, hanging on the rope to support herself. 

"CLAIRE!" The two remaining people screamed.

"What?" Claire kept crossing the chasm, her expression a mixture of deadpan and serious. 

"At least warn us first, dammit! You almost gave me a heart attack!"

"I did ask who want to go first, Van." Claire reached the other side and gripped on one of the rocks along the cave walls, sending small rocks tumbling down and causing her two friends to wince.

"True, but... Screw it, I'm second! If I fail, I'm haunting you from beyond the grave, Claire!" Ivanna checked the rope on her side and, less than gracefully, went to the other side. Upon reaching the other side, Ivanna glared at Claire, the unspoken threat after everything is over clear to anyone within the area.

"Alright, and now..." Ronan, after seeing Ivanna reach the other side safely, exhaled and made his way onto the rope, gripping it until his knuckles turned white from the pressure. 

The rope started shaking, the stalagmite on the starting side unable to support the weight on it any longer.

Claire bit her lips.

When Ronan reached the other side without a hitch, Claire and Ivanna exhaled, wincing at the thought of them being one second late.

"Alright, now what?" Ivanna asked.

"Go in, of course." Claire answered, her tone deadpan, a contrast from her panic earlier. "Hey, Ronan?"

"Sure."

Ronan touched the swirling vortex, not quite entering it, yet enough to create a ripple. It felt like touching a body of water.

"I have a good feeling about this." Ronan said, while rubbing his chin. "Let's go."

Ronan walked in first, followed by Claire and Ivanna. 

The inside of the vortex was simple, only consisting of a smooth rock wall creating a narrow room barely four square meter wide. In the middle of the room, chains extend from the celling to the ground, cocooning a tall, lanky girl no more than fifteen years of age. Her messy black hair, with occasional strands of shimmering white, spread down her mid-back. From the edges of the chain cocoon, some kind of white fabric can be seen, presumably from a simple white dress.

"We did it!" Ivenna shouted, her words feels louder in the small room.

"Yep, we got it, indeed. Our efforts have paid off." Ronan walked closer, carefully and slowly, like someone approaching an uncaged wild beast. "From what I can see, She's a D. We're lucky."

"What, all that trouble for a D-rank?" Ivenna frowned, staring at the cocooned girl. 

"Not D-rank, just D. That's how my circle refer to Divine ranks, the top rank, right above A-rank. She's a rare specimen, indeed... Not many Divines are out there, only five is known from the previous Death Matches, out of the many contestants vying for the top spot…"

"Look, Claire! You got it! We got it!" Ivanna raised her fist and jumped in anticipation.

Hearing no answer, Ivanna turned around.

"Claire?"

"… Ah? Oh, sorry. What was that again?" Claire blinked, snapping herself out of her stare on the chain cocoon.

"The gist is, she's a Divine. We hit jackpot." Ronan explained. 

Claire tuned the explanation out.

"… You have to wake her up." Ronan finished.

"Alright, alright." Claire shook her head, trying to clear her thoughts. "As promised, I'll be the one taking care of her."

Claire walked closer, slowly and carefully, taking her time to let the reality sink in. The chained girl kept on sleeping, oblivious to all the chatter going on around her. 

"Hey…"

Claire touched the girl. Her face felt cold to the touch.

"Mmph..."

"You... You look familiar… Who are you?" The girl said, her voice low and shaky. Her gray eyes looked shineless and empty, as if she was consumed by despair. Energy swirled around her, coiling and spinning like snakes made of steam, making the warm room feel a bit hotter.

Claire shook her head. "No, we never met before. My name is Claire." Claire fingered the blue glowing chains. Slowly, but surely, the binding dissipated, leaving strands of blue chains with melted ends scattered on the rocky cavern floor.

The chained girl descended to the floor, and the place became hotter the moment her feet touched the ground. A wave of heat, intense and painful, was released as her gray eyes turned red, just like rubies. The white parts of her hair hardened, twisting itself to create a pair of crystal loops holding her black hair up into a pair of twintails. Black gauntlets, tipped with red crystals on the fingers, materialized on her hands, glowing from the heat, along with a set of black armor tipped with matching red accents.

"Claire... Alright. As you have freed me, I will fight for you, until the end." The girl bowed, reaching for one, longer strand of the chains formerly binding her. The moment her right gauntlet touched the strand, the gauntlet started disappearing, exposing her hand. In seconds, the fire faded, and the room cooled down, before the girl returned into the form in which she was tied up. The blue, glowing chain was tied on her wrist, reaching up to the middle of her forearm. "Shall we go, Claire?"

"I second her suggestion, Claire." Ivenna replied, Claire seemingly zoned out. "Hey, are you okay? You've been out of it."

"Just the shock of getting a Divine-ranker. Don't worry, I'll be fine." Claire replied, walking back to the swirling vortex with the formerly cocooned girl behind her. 

"What's your name?" Claire asked, almost hesitant, to the girl, as if ashamed of herself for forgetting to ask such a trivial matter.

The girl only shook her head.

"That's odd... How about I call you F… Fiora?" Claire asked. "I've always thought it was a beautiful name, honestly."

"Fiora?" She repeated, careful and slow. "Fiora... Fiora... Yes, I like it. Fiora it is."

"Glad you like it, Fiora."

"Claire, what are you on about? She wouldn't have any… I mean, Incarnations have no name when they are just released. I literally told you before we went into this hole." Ronan interjected into their conversation.

"Hey, calm down, Ronan. In case you forgot, we literally just risked our lives, you know. That tend to make you take your mind off other things." Ivanna replied. "Regardless, how are we getting out of this place?"

"The way we came from? It's long, but pretty safe." Claire replied, stepping out from the vortex while followed by Fiora, Ronan, and Ivanna. "We still have rabid bats waiting on the other road, after all."

"Wow, so you three went ahead and got the Incarnation first, huh?"

Hearing the voice, the four looked at the direction, right across the chasm they came from. Claire, Ivanna, and Ronan's faces twisted with distaste upon seeing the source of the voice. A tall, copper haired man with green eyes scanned them, regarding them with contempt. His clothes looked luxurious, the vibrant red trying to overpower the drab greyness of the cave walls.

"Oscar, you damn stalker! How did you even know this place?!" Claire exclaimed.

"Deci, kill them." Without answering, Oscar muttered to the hooded figure next to him. "Leave the blue-eyed girl unharmed."

"As you wish."

Several knives flew towards the group, causing the three to scramble off in an attempt to avoid the projectile.

Faster than the knives, Fiora unraveled the blue chain from her wrist. 

Clang!

The moment she stopped touching the chain, heat permeated the air, marking her change back into the form seen by the three upon her release. Burning chains extended from Fiora's gauntlets, one aiming for their attacker, the other deflecting the knives just in time.

"Claire, keep this chain safe." Fiora said, gesturing to the blue chain on the floor. "What do you want me to do?"

"What do you mean, Fiora?"

"Engage and fight..." With her expression blank, Fiora continued moving her burning chains, protecting the three with one chain while trying to reach the hooded figure with the other. "… or run."


	2. Registration

Time passes at a snail's pace, and Claire's expression twisted into a mix of disgust and fear. She opened and closed her mouth several times in indecision. Finally, she muttered, her voice too low to be heard by most except Fiora.

"Run."

"As you wish." Fiora retracted her chains and raised her fist and slammed it onto the ground, creating a massive wall of sharp, red-hot crystals separating the two groups. The incoming knives lodged itself in the wall, melting into puddles of gray substance with traces of green.

With nary a word, Fiora grabbed Claire's hand, leaving her two friends behind.

"Wait! Don't leave them!" 

"Yes, Claire." With her usual monotone, a pair of chains materialized from her gauntlets, no longer glowing with heat but still no less strong. Within seconds, Ivanna and Ronan was tied up, lifted to the air, and carried off, while Claire stayed on the ground, following the pull of Fiora's hand.

Everything blurred, and Claire focused all her efforts to keep running in spite of her aching legs. Meanwhile, as if the extra weights didn't bother her, Fiora kept on running, going up a steep slope and shot the rabid bats in the middle of the way with several well-aimed crystal throws. When Claire can no longer run, Fiora extended another chain from one of her gauntlets and continued on.

After a few grueling minutes, they were out, coming from the other side of the cavern.

Fiora stopped running, lowered the three down, and waited for them to get their bearings.

"Never... Do… That... Again!" Claire's breaths came out in ragged gasps. She leaned on the side wall of the cavern entrance, trying to shake the confusion and fatigue. Meanwhile, Ivanna and Ronan outright vomited a few meters away.

"Dammit, I've heard of the phrase 'chasing you till the ends of earth', but I'm not expecting someone to actually do it!" Ivanna shouted, while wiping her mouth.

"Sorry for that." Claire answered, shaking her head. "This is the first time I've seen him have an Incarnation of his own, and he's already a pain in the ass before that."

"Did he hurt you, Claire?" Fiora asked, her eyes still empty. "Should I kill them?"

"Don't!" Claire put her hands out, stopping the girl. "Just... Just put this back on. We should go."

With nary a whisper of complaint, Fiora slipped the blue, glowing chain on.

"I don't know about you two- er, three, but I'd love a warm bath and some food, then sleep. Even that dingy sleeping bag at home sounds appealing right about now." Ronan shrugged and pinched the bridge of his nose. "I've had enough drama for one day."

"Right, I can use some of your killer steamed eggs, Claire." Ivanna replied.

Fiora opened her mouth, about to say something.

"Okay, okay. I get it. Ivanna, watch out what you say, or I'm going to put you on timeout." Claire cut in. "Let's go. I want to take a bath too."

\--

The apartment room was small, if a bit dirty, consisting of one living room and a couple of doors separating the two bedrooms. 

Ivanna's room was almost full, many random knick-knacks, stacks of papers, and several articles of clothing strewn around making the room feel even smaller than it already is. The white walls were decorated in several posters, mostly depicting either cute animals or various musicians, with a smattering of motivational words and phrases in vivid, contrasting color compared to the other posters.

In contrast, Claire's room was almost immaculate, the small amount of decoration not vivid enough to make the room feel less empty. The single-person bed sat in the corner, right next to an electric socket, while the white, wooden wardrobe and desk sat next to each other in the other corner in front of the bed. A decorative hourglass sat on one of the desk's racks, light green liquid pooling at the bottom in place of traditional sand.

"Yeah, we sort of live together." Claire shrugged, her eyes darting at Fiora. "It's not the best place, but it's the best we can at the moment." 

"It is sufficient." Fiora replied, eyeing the room before her ashen gaze fell on the hourglass. "Is that yours?"

"Of course. Do you like it?"

Fiora simply stared at the liquid pooled at the bottom before flipping the hourglass. The chain on her left forearm casted a blue glow against the glass.

As if in a trance, Fiora stared as the drops fall, one by one. "This color..."

"Yes, it's a long story." Claire shrugged. "I'm not in the mood to tell it."

"I see." 

"Oh, you can sleep on the floor for now, I'll get some sheets or something so you can be comfortable. When we get money from the match, I'll get something better for you."

"I understand."

\--

The place was absolutely packed, with people screaming every which way. Some shouted names of famous past fighters, some even discussed their theories, and some even gossipped about the past winners. 

The arena for the Death Matches have a size similar to a basketball field, separated from the audience chairs by a forcefield capable of taking most, if not all, the attacks flying around. Similar to a field used for sports game, the audience chair rows surround the entire battlefield in the middle.

Courtesy of the combined effort from Claire and Ivanna, Fiora's white dress were replaced with a less conspicuous combination of white, long sleeved hoodie and black shorts, allowing the Incarnation the luxury of less attention and talk from those around her. Her long, mid-back length hair, were combed in such a way that the front parts fall in wispy, effortless layers, framing her face and eyes. She stood several meters away from the group, leaning on one of the building walls and taking in the sights around her. Her gray eyes were still empty, but at least, she seemed to enjoy herself.

"Well, as expected, it's pretty packed." Claire shrugged, playing with the small, card-like device given by the booth, the card showing the number '19' on it right below a display that says '16'.

"Not like all of them will participate, most just want to have a look, or even see which participants they can obsess over. Not like there are many Incarnations out there, nor a lot of people willing to get down and find them." Ronan shrugged. "If both of you didn't hide her chain with your clothes, she'll probably grab quite the attention."

"I don't want them to surround us, either. It works in our favor." Ivanna gestured at a sheepish-looking Incarnation, his chains clearly tied on his knuckles like some kind of makeshift gloves. He was surrounded by a crowd, some claiming how handsome he is amongst other well-wishes and words of admiration, while a flustered and overwhelmed guy next to him tries to shoo out the crowds with little success.

"It'll be over soon, at least." Claire looked at the card again, the display has changed to '17'. "Afterwards, we can get some food."

"Meow!"

A high-pitched, melodic meow broke the three out from their discussion.

Ivanna turned towards the source. On the ground, a relatively large cat sporting a black coat was approaching them, with several parts of long dark brown furs forming a sort of scarf on her neck. Her fluffy tail and ears perked with interest, her steps purposeful and her hazel eyes alert, as she walked towards Ivanna and jumped on her lap. The cat spun around several times before finally laying down.

"What's such a beautiful cat doing in this crowded place?" Ivanna smiled and stroked the cat, finding a small, silver chain collar on her neck. The collar consisted of nothing but the chain string and a small tag with the name 'Dia' carved in exquisite, elegant cursive, the dot on 'i' replaced with a star symbol.

"Maybe some rich person lost their cat? Consider that long, luxurious fur. Taking care of it isn't exactly easy." Ronan shrugged. 

"Finally, Dia! Don't run around on your own, what if you got lost?" A disheveled man came running, his white hair tussled every which way. The coat he was wearing, once luxurious, seems to have succumbed to the ravages of time and grime, a contrast to the beautiful, sleeping cat.

The cat opened her eyes, yawned, and slept again.

"Don't ignore me! To think I've given you-"

The man trailed off and watched the three people, seemingly just now aware of their presence. He flashed a gentle, charming smile, and scratched the back of his head. "Sorry, where are my manners? I'm Terry, nice to meet you." 

"Ivanna." Ivanna nodded. "She's such a sweet little one, take care of her."

"Of course. She's already taken a liking to you, though." Terry smiled. "She has a knack on finding people she likes. She's almost like a dog, in that regard."

"Hey, we should go. Our turn's coming in a bit." Claire said.

"Don't let me keep you guys away, then." The cat jumped off from Ivanna's lap, following the guy as if on command. "I'll cheer on the sidelines, good luck." 

"Thanks."

Right on cue, the three walked away for their turn.


	3. Regeneration

The massive door creaked and vibrated before finally opening, letting the lights from outside into the dark tunnel.

The luxurious room Claire and Fiora were waiting in created a sort of contrast, as if they were angels beckoned away from heaven and into the unknown. The screams from outside made the excitement almost palpable, the heat of the late afternoon sun doing nothing to dampen the mood. Upon seeing the gate open, Fiora simply nodded and stared at Claire with her gray eyes. 

The silence was uncomfortable, suffocating even. Fiora's memory loss and stoic demeanor kept her from starting conversations, while Claire's gaze seemed to try to look at anything but the only other person in the room. Her deep blue eyes scanned everything, as if trying to find something, anything interesting, in the room. The room was barren, save for chairs, tables and some simple refreshment.

"Are you ready, Fiora?" Claire asked, attempting to break the silence. She reached into her pants pocket, and gripped the small thing inside, fear strangling her from within.

"I am whenever you are, Claire." 

"Have you ever considered anything beside fighting? What about your… yourself? Have you ever considered it?"

"Your feelings will tell you what to do." Fiora stepped forward, closed her eyes, and sighed. "All will be clear in time… That is all I know. Let's go, Claire."

Bewildered and confused, Claire simply nodded and the conversation stilled to an awkward end.

As expected, the arena was bustling, the whistles, screams, and chatter getting even louder the moment both stepped out into the field. Unperturbed, Fiora kept walking, before finally stopping just a little bit behind the provided short, white line.

Unlike Fiora, who seemed to possess an inhuman composure towards the upcoming battle, Claire glanced around the audience seats, internally regretting her choice to be the handler. There was a certain, undeniable awe to be felt from seeing the action on the comfort of the seats, but now that the position has switched, fear, the stakes, and expectation from the audience began weighing on her mind.

No.

Claire shook her head, trying to get rid of the intrusive thoughts. Her life, and by extension, Ivanna and Fiora, depended on this moment. Yet again, her hand went on her pocket, feeling the small, metallic thing inside.

"-and now, from the other side! We have another newcomer. This charming gentleman, Reyvan, along with his equally charming companion, Trosker! The contrast, yet united by one theme, has attracted the attention of many even before the competition! Will he grow into a star, beloved by many? Or will his early career fizzle out as soon as it started? Give us a round of applause for an early fight between an A-ranker and a Divine!"

"Reyvan!"

"We love you, Reyvan!"

"Go, Reyvan!"

"Trosker!"

"Just when I thought this place wouldn't get any noisier…" Claire rubbed her forehead.

"It certainly could, then." Fiora replied, her right hand tracing the chain tied on her left forearm. "It's starting, get ready."

"Hey! Nice to meet you." Trosker waved, his light brown hair waving in the wind. He was barechested, his lower half covered by a pair of simple black pants, while his lean, but muscular chest is covered in scars. "Name's Trosker, this one's Reyvan. Rey, aren't you being damn gloomy? Show some smile!" 

"They're our opponents, you know. Stop smiling to everyone you meet." Reyvan scowled, elbowing his companion. He was pretty well dressed, a stark contrast to the barechested man. His short, neatly combed brown hair was somehow staying in place in spite of the wind, as if trying to highlight the contrast between them even further.

"So?" Trosker raised his eyebrows, his emerald green eyes staring at his companion in bewilderment. "Doesn't mean I have to make it personal. They're been nice to us so far."

"It's not even two minutes."

Claire just stared at the two of them, before deciding to stare at Fiora. As expected, she wasn't even budging in the slightest.

"Geez, little girl. You look like you've seen some crap." Trosker sighed. "Lighten up a bit."

"I'm fine with myself as it is."

"Oh goodness, this is peak comedy!" Trosker barked out a loud laugh. "I'm fighting with a clueless one!"

"It seems some of our contestants are enjoying themselves! However, as on schedule, the fight starts in a matter of seconds! Count down with me, everyone! Ten!"

"If that is the extent of your strength of will, you are going to lose, little lady." Trosker held the end of his blue chain, ready to unravel the binding from his left knuckle.

"Sure." Fiora's answer was even, no trace of emotion in her tone.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

The moment echoes of bells marking the beginning of the match resounded, the two has already disappeared, turning into red and brown colored blur. The two's chains were lying on the arena floor, amidst the flying dust and debris overtaking the place. 

Without further ado, both handlers took their own Incarnations' glowing chains.

All of a sudden, Claire felt a sudden gust of wind in front of her.

Followed by Fiora pulling her out of the way.

The forcefield protecting the walls shook as a massive shape punched it. Without breaking a sweat, the figure turned around, revealing a massive, muscled man covered in feathers. His head is shaped like a golden hawk's, piercing green eyes contrasting the massive wings unfurled on his back. 

"No bark, but you certainly can bite, little lady!" Trosker, the hawk man, let out a hearty laugh, no hostility in his voice. "We made the right choice joining this thing, after all!"

"Dammit, Trosker. Just kill her and take the fucking necklace already! We don't have all day to spend on this." His face was pale, as if he was swallowing his screams of pain.

"Yeah, yeah. Snippy as always." Trosker shrugged and charged forward, yet again meeting Fiora's chains. Fiora threw several flat, red hot crystals while moving her chains, aiming for Trosker's abdomen with the makeshift crystalline knives. The knives found their mark, marring the hawk man's scarred upper body with even more scars.

"You're a tough one." Trosker landed, without as much as blinking even with several crystals lodged down his abdomen, and pulled the crystals out. White smoke rose from his hand, the crystals searing the feathers on his palm. The moment he threw the heated objects down, all his wounds healed away, leaving scars in their place.

"I see. That is how you were able to take my attacks head-on." Fiora nodded. "But how about your handler?"

"Oh, he will be fine. The better question is, how about yours?"

A lone, golden brown feather streaked across them, nicking Fiora on the cheek, close to her right eye, and landed between Trosker's middle and index fingers.

In the background, Claire, who has been trying to sneak away and grab Reyvan's necklace, stopped upon noticing the small, distracting, and stinging pain close to her right eye. There was no blood, but the pain was similar to getting a paper cut, shallow, yet enough to make her stop for a few seconds.

Not expecting the sensation, she grimaced in pain. As a result, she stopped advancing.

"Don't draw the battle for too long, Trosker! Get the necklace!"

"Heh, fine. Let's end this!" Trosker nodded and rushed forward, sending sand and rocks across the arena in his pursuit towards Claire. Fiora followed suit from the other direction, chains extended to hinder the golden eagle, while she ran as fast as possible to save her handler.

The field shook, translucent cracks appearing on the surface of the forcefield.

"Ugh!" Claire grimaced and stiffened, feeling intense pain on her left leg, as Fiora jumped up to avoid the attack with her handler in her arms. The seemingly frail, silent Fiora was unruffled, still. However, blood trickled down Fiora's left leg, evidence that she did not escape from Trosker as unscathed as her expression implied.

"This is going nowhere, Fiora."

Fiora nodded, without saying anything.

Claire held up the blue, glowing chain with her left hand, dangling the chain as both of them descended towards the ground. Trosker, with his wings spread wide, keeps on attacking without relent, while Fiora tried to keep her handler safe by dodging and occasionally retaliating with her chains and crystals.

Knowing the wide reach of her chains, Trosker kept Fiora distracted, aiming for the obvious deadweight to keep them from attacking his handler. Even as he looked like a pincushion for crystals, he persisted.

"Fiora, do you trust me?" 

"What do you wish for me to do, Claire?" Fiora asked.

"Keep attacking, and take the chain when I gave it to you." Claire answered.

Trosker flew even higher up, just out of reach from Fiora's chains. In response, she clenched her right fist, causing the crystal claws on each fingertip to glow red, and ran backwards while facing Trosker. On the other side of the arena, she extended her chains towards both sides of the arena, using them as a makeshift catapult.

Both of them were launched into the air at high speeds, their hair whipping every which way. Within half a second, Fiora was already in front of the golden eagle, red-hot claws extended and ready to strike.

Shocked for a split second, Trosker was unable to dodge.

"Argh!"

From the ground, a pained, strangled scream echoed through the arena, right as the claws singed off the feathers on Trosker's face.

"Now, Fiora!"

Fiora nodded, taking the blue chain and swiftly threw Claire across the arena, right towards the source of the scream. Realizing what had just happened, Trosker turned away and dashed, becoming a golden blur.

Right as a single red-hot chain extended and restrained him in a flash of light.

"Do not avert your eyes from your opponent." Fiora held the blue chain with her bare left hand, while her left hand were still covered with a gauntlet. Even as her armor started disappearing from her left side, she remained calm, not even a stray twitch of muscle. 

"She says one thing and you just do it without thinking?" Trosker hissed. "I take it back, you're not even a robot, you're nothing but a meat puppet! Divine-rank strength is wasted on you!"

Fiora stared at him, as if daring him to continue. "One more thing, pay attention to your surroundings."

"Argh!"

Again, Reyvan screamed, this time much more agonizing than before.

In a split second, Trosker shook off Fiora's binding chain and rushed towards his handler. His body turned into an almost invisible blur.

"Enough. It's your win, missy. There's no need to hurt my handler any more than he already is." Trosker said, his voice solemn.

Bam!

Claire was thrown off Reyvan and sent flying, the pendant of his necklace safe in her death grip. Right before she hit the forcefield wall, Fiora dropped the blue, glowing chain, and extended the chains from her gauntlets in an attempt to lessen the impact.

Still, it was a hard impact.

Claire saw stars, her vision almost blurred, and her head throbbed. But still, she held the small pendant shaped like a cursive letter 'D' from Reyvan's necklace, a proof of her victory. She reached into her pocket, and sighed in relief upon touching the warm metal within.

Proof of her first win is safe within her grasp.


	4. Regret

"We... We won...? We won, Fiora!" Claire sighed in relief. Her breaths came out in ragged gasps, and her head was still throbbing, but she won - and that is all that matters.

Fiora nodded, not even a twitch on her expression.

"Congratulations. Guess my powers wasn't enough to snatch victory." Trosker scooped up his wounded handler. Half or Reyvan's face was pink from burn wounds, while his right eye turned bright red, damaged by fire from Claire's surprise attack. Patches of his hair was singed off, causing it to look uneven.

"As for you…" Trosker turned towards Claire. "Good idea on using the power-sharing aspect of your handler status." He glanced at Claire's raw right hand, the skin of her palm burned off from the reckless use of Fiora's fire. "You are smart, but don't forget that your friend over there, as much as I don't like her, is still a person. If only I wasn't busy gawking, the obvious hole in that 'plan' of yours would make her dead meat."

"I guess so." Claire turned away, unable to form a reply. True, that tactic, if it could be called that, was far too reckless, relying too much on surprise factor without anything of substance.

"Well then, see ya around." Trosker wrapped his chain on his left knuckle. Within moments, his wings and feathers disappeared, his features returning to the green-eyed, brown haired man seen before the match. Even without the strength of his Incarnation form, he seemed to be strong enough to carry his ally back through the tunnel they came from.

"It seems we have a clear winner!" The narrator's voice broke Claire's reverie, along with the awkward silence following the win. "Show us the proof of your victory!"

With an awkward, jerking gesture, Claire raised the pendant she took from Reyvan.

"The second match of the Elimination Round has been completed! Give a big round of applause to our winning pair, Claire Saphira and her partner, Fiora!"

A round of applause filled the arena, marred with some boos from those who supported Reyvan and Trosker. Some praised the surprise element, while others are busy pointing out the mistakes or even slamming their fists in anger for losing a bet. 

"For winning the first round, one hundred thousand points have been deposited into the winning team's card! Congratulations, Claire Saphira and Fiora!"

"Thanks." That was the only response Claire could muster, the euphoria from her win abated by the creeping regret. In the heat of battle, her actions had seemed reasonable, but now, it was more terrifying than anything else, an overpowering doubt screaming in the back of her mind.

Without celebrating her victory, she decided to walk out from the arena, with Fiora following behind her.  
\--

"I mean, look at her! Divine-rank Incarnation or not, launching yourself across the field takes a lot of guts. She's a normal human, no monster regeneration or anything, and she just threw herself to get the necklace! Also, did you see-"

"I get it, Ronan. You've been going on and on about that battle for at least one hour." Ivanna sighed. "It's a wonder Claire isn't sleeping already."

As if the universe heard her, Fiora leaned to the right, her head landing on Claire's shoulder. The sleeping girl seemed to be unaware of what she had done.

Claire didn't react. She stared at her phone, as if the dark, cracked screen hid something profound within it.

"Claire not swatting anyone who came in contact with her shoulder? Is this real life? Is it just-"

"Shh, Ivanna! Stop jinxing us all!" Ronan sighed. 

"I... Can live for a bit. She did exhaust herself after all." Claire leaned to the side door, allowing the girl a better position. "It's uncomfortable, but that's the least I can do."

"Hey, Claire. You're oddly silent for someone who has just won." Ivanna asked, raising her eyebrows. "I mean, with that amount of points, you can do a lot."

"30000 points each for me and Fiora, while both of you get 20000 points worth of Roud. That's what we agreed on, right?" Claire answered.

"Well, more like 60000 for you, 20000 each for us." Ronan shrugged.

The atmosphere tensed.

"Ronan, are you sure you want to start this debate again?" Claire narrowed her eyes.

"… Calm down, I'm not going to. Agree to disagree, alright? Anyway, congrats for that win. I was too engrossed and forgot about it." Ronan scratched his head, not in the mood to get into a confrontation.

\--

With the fatigue weighing down on her, Claire threw herself into her bed without changing her clothes, sighing in contentment upon touching the sunken, thin matress. Even knowing how dirty her clothes are, she doesn't even have enough energy to grab something else, or even follow her subtle threat towards Ivanna back in the car ride.

"Say, Fiora..."

"Yes, Claire?"

Just like clockwork, the moment they came back, Fiora set her sight on the familiar green hourglass ornament on the white desk and flipped it, watching the drops fall as if it was the most beautiful thing in the world. 

"Why me?"

"I don't think I understand your question." Fiora turned away from the hourglass and stared at Claire, nothing stirring within those calm, endless gray eyes. 

"I mean, why do you follow me still, as you can just remove your chain and, maybe burn me to a crisp, without going to the Death Matches at all?" Claire lifted her injured right hand, staring at the bandage while remembering the earlier events. If she concentrated, she swore the feeling of blazing, red hot flame, is still there.

There was a long, palpable silence.

"I don't know, to be honest." Finally, Fiora replied, breaking the bubble of awkwardness between them. She walked towards the side of Claire's bed and sat down on the floor. "Perhaps, you'll find it strange, but I just feel… something, a nagging feeling whenever you're close by. In addition, that hourglass..." Fiora trailed off. Within moments, the green liquid at the top was completely pooled at the bottom.

"Ah, almost forgot you like that old thing." Claire stared at the hourglass, her expression unreadable. "If you want, you can keep it."

"Pardon?"

For a short, fleeting moment, the calm in her expression cracked. However, all too quickly, she regained her composure, acting as if the crack never existed.

"You can keep it." 

"… Thank you." Finally, after what feels like an eternity, Fiora answered, taking the hourglass as if she was holding expensive porcelain. "Aside from that memory I've told you before... This contest of yours got me intrigued as well."

"Intrigued?"

"If the information I heard from that time was right, winning Incarnation are promised aid to obtain the memories they lost." Fiora answered. "Did that friend of yours never tell you?"

"Nah, I wasn't too enthusiastic about the Death Matches back then, I felt it was rather distasteful. I mean, battle till death?" Claire shrugged. "All I know that it offers money and the chance to meet the famed Skylar Ferrophelas, the famed guy behind virtually everything in this world."

"Skylar?"

"Yep, he's famous as he is the founder of Ferros Industries. They make anything ranging from phones to everyday stuff like pillows or even food. They're probably the closest thing to the government without actually being one." Claire answered. "The name Skylar has became synonymous with success. Most people will-"

"Wait, someone is here."

Fiora whispered, touching the chain coiled on her left hand.


	5. Replica

"Fiora, wait!"

Fiora dashed out of the room and through the front door, her blue chain lying on the floor. Bewildered and confused, Claire stared at the direction her companion went for an agonizing second before deciding to run out as well. It was a stroke of luck that she has the rationale to not knock over everything on her path.

Outside, all the other doors in the hall were closed, everyone seemingly enjoying their own little world behind closed doors. The halls, as expected, were empty, causing the place to have an eerie, quiet feel to it.

"There!"

Fiora extended one of her chains, the tip shooting towards what seems to be a random spot on the wall. In a split second, the spot Fiora aimed at rippled and distorted, turning into the form of a man in a tattered grey cloak. The hood of his loose cloak was wide and the inside was black, preventing anyone from discerning anything except a pierced lip.

"Impressive, I didn't expect you to be able to find me." He seemed calm, far too calm, even as the wound on his stomach started dripping blood onto the carpeted hall. 

"You!" Claire gasped, her eyes wide as she took a step back into her room. "What does he want this time?! It's about time Oscar finds another interest!" She whispered to herself.

"I have no idea, and no desire to know. All he wanted was your location." Deci replied, seemingly capable of hearing Claire's fervent whisper. "And I swear by the name he gave to me, I will carry out his orders, no matter how abs-"

Not even the dignity of finishing his words are given.

Fiora directed one of her chains to strike, the glowing, red-hot tip dashing towards the enemy. 

Claire grasped Fiora's hand and shook her head, causing the chain to stop short from her intended target.

"Don't. If others know..."

Clang!

On the last split second, Fiora protected her face with her left hand, the gauntlet causing the silver knife to bounce and land soundlessly on the carpeted floor. 

"If they know, they might evict you from this place, Fiora." Claire shook her head. "It's best we keep a low profile."

"It'll be fine, I can sleep outside." 

"That's not the point here, Fiora." Claire pressed on. "Don't do this, for my sake. Please. I can deal with him later."

"How sweet." Deci hummed, the corners of his mouth tugged into a sincere smile. "So this is why he wants you so much."

"If you take another step..."

"Not going to, hot stuff. Not reporting you, either." The wound on his stomach finally stopped bleeding, and he sighed in relief. "Besides-"

Everything went red.

Blood splashed throughout the hall, staining the place with blood and what seemed to be pieces of an once beating heart. As the cloaked man slumped onto the floor and melted like wax statue, his splashed blood and meat also turned into black puddle and disappeared into white smoke, making the identical figure that appeared behind him even more terrifying.

He waved his bloody hand, spraying droplets of blood that turned into black wax and disappeared.

"Heh, finally the traitor showed himself." The man, identical in every way from the previous one, laughed. "All nine of us serve Deci, and his will is our will. Any detractors shall be replaced." 

Seeing that scene, Claire winced, trying to hold back the bile rising behind her throat.

"Fiora… Please. I beg you to get rid of him, but don't make too much of a trace, if possible?"

"Understood." Fiora nodded.

It was the only cue they need.

Within moments, a hail of knives, each of the tips glinting from the presence of some kind of liquid, dashed towards Fiora, while three of her chains moved in such a way so they looked like a drill going through an endless onslaught of knives.

The sound of metal-on-metal echoed throughout the hall, while the dropped knives fell without a sound on the carpeted floor.

All of a sudden, the noise stopped.

One chain, separate from the three forming Fiora's makeshift drill, stabbed the heart of the hooded man, causing all his movements to stop. The knives he threw, as if weighed by something, fell and melted into black puddle, along with his body, and disappeared into white mist within the span of seconds.

"Deci... What he desired, shall be our desire..."

Ghastly and airy, like a silent, dying scream, the whisper passed before disappearing along with the white mist.  
**

"You were attacked?!"

Claire sat cross-legged on the living room floor, while Ivanna stared at her friend in complete bewilderment. Fiora stood at the edge of the room, leaning on the wall to relax while paying attention to what is going on outside. Her blue chain was tied on her left wrist, inside the hoodie she wore during the competition earlier in the day. Due to the events, she didn't have enough time to change it.

"Somehow, you slept through all the metallic clanging outside." Claire shrugged and sighed. "But honestly, everyone seems to be, considering the fact that we haven't heard any reports about a fight breaking out."

"Now that I think about it, that is rather odd..."

"Why don't you believe me?! I've seen the fight here! I swear!" A deep, exasperated voice can be heard from outside, the scream loud enough to be heard from their room.

"Fiora, go in the bedroom." Claire whispered, not wanting to attract attention to their place.

"Sir, please calm down. We will investigate the presence of an Incarnation here. However, if a fight as big as you described truly happened here, there's bound to be a trace, and people around will hear the huge racket caused by such an event." Someone else replied with a deep voice, his tone considerably calmer.

"I don't care! Dammit, no place is safe, not even here! I swear, the end is near! Demons are coming to walk among us and drag us all to the fire!"

"Sir, please. You are bothering the other tenants. We will look into this issue, in the meantime, please calm down." The voice continued, retaining his calm in spite of the screams.

"Should we come out?"

"Don't. Let someone else file a noise complaint or something, we have an even more pressing matter to deal with." Claire replied, while trying to see the scene as best as she could through the peephole. "Besides, we aren't a particularly social tenant. Better let the more known ones in the spotlight."

"Fair point." Ivanna concluded. "Your Incarnation's little brawl aside…"

Claire stopped looking at the hole and sat down.

"… there's the fact that Oscar may or may not know where you live - and if that guy is really hellbent on tracking you, he might." Ivanna said. "On one hand, you do have that Fiora, and as of now, she's completely devoted to you. But, there's the fact that outside matches, it's hard to use her power freely.…"

"I'll deal with him, as always." Claire replied. "He was relentless even before this, but at least he held back before. Now, as we both have powers on our side, he'll employ any measure he has on his sleeve. On the other hand..."

"What?" Ivanna raised her eyebrows.

"There's a huge chance he doesn't know yet." Claire said. "If their behavior were any indication, whatever those melting people Deci, and Oscar for that matter, used to track me was semi-independent… and they have to manually exchange information." 

"How are you so sure?"

"All of this is nothing but speculation." Claire replied. "There's no 'sure', but there's no choice except to roll with it. I'd say, considering his past records, he'll come here without hesitation the moment he knew."

"If you say so, Claire. For the sake of our safety, I hope you're right..."  
**

"Hey, Claire?"

"Van, you haven't slept yet?" Claire asked.

"Well, if someone who has the bed can't sleep, how can you assume I can?" Ivanna laughed from the side below Claire's single bed, careful to keep her voice low lest the other occupant woke up.

"Well, someone seems to get some sleep here." Claire chuckled, keeping her voice low as well. "Thanks for sleeping here with me."

"You're welcome. We stick together, don't we?"

"The offer for the bed is still out, you know." Claire added.

"Pfft! Knowing you, I'll end up on the floor the next day from your fighting skills on the bed." Ivanna shrugged, seemingly struggling to not laugh out loud in there. "I swear, if you have a boyfriend, you'd make it in a joke website because both of you broke up from sleeping habits."

"Hey, I'm not that bad!"

"Tell that to the bolsters and pillows you kicked down in your sleep. You build rather elaborate pillow forts just to tear them down the next morning, I'm truly amazed."

"They're pretty comfortable…"

"I mean, you're the stiff one, with a room probably as clean as a lab... and you build pillow forts." Ivanna replied. "You sleep, we've spent a lot of time, and considering how she acts, I wouldn't be surprised if she actually woke up." She glanced at Fiora. Oddly, she looked comfortable, even with only a thin mattress separating her from the cold floor.

Minutes tick by, and the peaceful silence lulled the two into a peaceful sleep.


	6. Respite

The heat was oddly comforting.

It wasn't a simple warmth similar to those from a homely furnace, nor the comforting warmth from the fireplace amidst the bitter, dry cold of a long winter. It was a searing, burning heat, similar to when one gets close to the volcano. Yet, it felt nice, similar to a super-heated blanket.

The cliffs were steep, and the red lava rocks kept either rolling down or falling down towards the golden lava river down below.

"After all that stunt on insulting the Vermilion Bird and his firebird lackeys..." The figure sighed in dismay. "The Origin Lava, huh... If others knew, they would gladly just climb and roll the way down there because the books say so." 

"Are you jumping down, too?" A soft, airy voice came from the left. Like a message from the wind, the voice sounded distant, yet close, creating an odd feeling.

"Of course not." The figure answered.

"Then, do you want to go to the other side of the river?"

"I don't even know who you are." When the figure turned around, it was greeted with the sight of a beautiful, attractive woman made of wisps of wind. Refreshing green-colored swirls spun around her, before disappearing into the all-consuming heat, yet she was not perturbed in the slightest. On her head, the wisps looked more playful and less prone of dispersing, creating an illusion of long, green hair.

"What is a wind spirit doing here?!"

"Don't worry, I'm not out to hurt you." The wind spirit raised both of her hands, or at least what could be hands on her odd, almost amorphous body. "I'm merely passing here."

"Then, where are you going?"

"Nowhere in particular." The spirit spun around. "Well, if you aren't jumping, then where are you going?"

"Why do you even bother?"

"Nothing, in particular, just…"

A gust of wind sent the figure tumbling down while the wispy figure simply watched.

\--

Claire, in her half-asleep state, saw the corners of Fiora's lips curl up into a small, serene smile, before it disappeared into a frown, slight but stark against her usual empty expression. It was no exaggeration to say that it was the widest range of expression she saw from her, a massive improvement from the usual.

As with all good things, it was certainly short lived.

Perhaps, she sensed someone watching her, or it was the continuous beep from Claire's phone, but her eyes fluttered open, exposing the empty stare that belied her earlier smile. 

"Is there something on my face?" Fiora asked.

"No, there's nothing. Just wake up, alright? I'm going to take you somewhere." Claire jumped out of her bed, took out some clothes, and walked towards the door. "Let's go, there's no time to waste!"

"If there's no time to waste, shouldn't we make haste?" Fiora asked.

Claire froze, all trace of sleepiness vanished from lher face. 'Oh, right...'

"I take that back, we can take our time. Just take a bath in Ivanna's room, alright?" Claire poked Ivanna until she finally woke up, "Hey, sleepyhead, stop dreaming. It's already noon."

"What?!" Ivanna jolted awake. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?!"

"Nah, I'm just screwing with you. We're going out, can you call Ronan and ask if he's going?" Claire smiled.

"If you haven't literally saved my life, I would've unleashed hell on your ass." Ivanna grumbled. "Fine, fine. I'll call him."

Fiora watched the whole exchange, still without expression, but it was clear that she was bewildered, unable to make sense of what is happening between the two friends.

Sensing the quizzical expression from her partner, Claire simply smiled. "Don't worry too much about it, just do as I say, alright?" Claire patted Fiora's head, ruffling her long, black locks.

"… Alright." Without being able to shake off her confusion, Fiora opted to just nod.

**

The fair was packed, the visitors showing how many people took advantage of the weekend in full force. However, there was still enough room to walk comfortably, without bumping into anyone. 

The sights and sounds made Fiora kept glancing around with a mixture of confusion and bewilderment. It was like she was a kid knowing about the candy store for the very first time.

"… Claire, now explain it again, why are we going here, out of all places?" Ivanna asked, her voice tinged with confusion. It was clear, even though she was told that today they're going somewhere, she did not expect that they would go to a place like...

This.

"Well, I'm bored?" Claire shrugged. "Besides, I want to give something to her." Claire glanced at Fiora, a glance returned with an odd look. "Well, I mean, she finally took her share of Rouds, but she practically has no idea on… some things?"

"Are you competing for the Understatement of The Century Awards?" Ivanna snarked.

"Does this place has any relation to our fight?" Fiora asked.

"Nope." 

"What is the purpose of this place, then?"

"Uh, well..." Claire rubbed the back of her head, feeling the dread of an imminent, awkward explanation.

"Let's just try it out!" Ivanna cut in, and Claire internally thanked her lucky stars that she decided to bring her friend along. Without further ado, Ivanna stopped at one stall featuring a shooting game, with several mid-sized plushies hanging on the top and the side.

"Let's go, Fiora." Claire pulled her companion's hand, and without resistance, she followed along.

"Shooting game… Really, Van? Are you prepared to lose?" Claire quirked her eyebrows, an amused smile lighting up her face. "Let's not forget what happened at the arcade, shall we?"

"Don't forget you lost at the darts game before, and this one won't end differently." Ivanna smirked, her red hair fluttering in the wind as if emphasizing her point. "Besides, can you shoot with your left hand?"

"You got a point. Hmm... Fiora, how about you do it?" Claire glanced at her, seeing the pale girl eyeing each of the plushies with oddly critical eyes.

"Me?"

"Of course, who else?" Claire chuckled. "I'm pretty sure you can."

"Do I have to win?" Fiora fingered the blue glowing chain wrapped on her wrist, right below the left sleeve of her hoodie.

"No, no. Just do your best. Relax, and it's fine if you can't land a hit." Claire reached out, trying to grab Fiora's right hand and deflect the attention from her left wrisr.

However, it was too late, during the exchange, the stall attendant looked at the three with an odd, almost accusatory gaze, only hidden beneath the thin veil of a fake smile to attract customers. While pretending as if she wasn't perceptive enough to realize, Ivanna quickly gave the attendant twelve Rouds, enough for ten shots at the target. According to the rules, if one managed to shoot down at least three targets in five attempts, they would be eligible to obtain the prize. The more targets one managed to knock down, the bigger the prize would be.

"We get 5 shots, I'll go first, and you can try afterwards, how about it?" Ivanna took the provided toy gun, along with five plastic pellets. "Fiora. If you lose," ivanna looked at Claire and winked. "I'm treating it as your loss!"

"Hey, that's unfair! Technically, you aren't competing with me." Claire huffed. "Besides, you want to count a victory from someone who has no idea about the rules? Loser!" Claire stuck out her tongue slightly.

"Hey! Low blow!"

"How about you shoot first, and we can talk about win and loss count later?"

"Yes, yes, dearest Claire." Ivanna hummed and turned away from them and focused on the booth. The targets seemed simple enough, if a bit small, consisting of several red target circles, four at the top, five at the bottom. The bright yellow toy gun looked pretty normal, as well.

"Well, here goes nothing!"

Clack!

The bullet hit bullseye on the target standing on the top left side, however, it simply stayed on and did not budge.

Clack!

Again, another pellet hit the same target, and finally, it went down.

Deciding to change things up, Ivanna aimed at the target second from bottom right, and without hesitation, shot another pellet from her toy gun. This time, as the plastic bullet hit the bullseye, the target was knocked down without resistance.

"Two bullets for one target. You get half of a win, I guess?"

"Of course… Wait, half? What the heck?"

"You'd be up against Fiora, and she doesn't know the rules before this." Claire hummed. "Be happy I even considered counting it a win."

Clack! Clack!

Ivanna shot the target on the top right twice, knocking the required three targets in five shots.

"Congratulations, here's your prize." The attendant smiled and handed Ivanna a small plush. The plush looked like a sitting hamster, with a small white flower clutched between its paws.

"Well, your turn, Fiora." 

She nodded in response, and took the provided toy gun along with the five plastic, brightly colored bullets. With nary a word, she closed one eye, and aimed towards the second target from the bottom right.

Clack!

The target went down in one hit.

Seemingly getting a handle of the game, Fiora decided to shoot the next one, the target on the bottom right.

Clack!

"… How the heck did you...?" Ivanna's eyes went wide, and she gasped, almost inaudible under her breath. "I'm sure each target took at least two shots to take down…"

Without answering, Fiora looked at the bottom left target and took another shot.

Clack!

The target was still standing.

Clack!

Finally, the target was knocked down.

"Aw, a tie with a complete newbie." Ivanna laughed.

"Hey, don't forget that she still have one shot." 

Clack!

As expected, the top-middle target was still standing.

"So, can we say this is half a loss since you tied to a complete newbie, Van?" Claire said, her tone of voice changed like she was trying to hide her laughter. As the prize for winning, Fiora obtained a small, cartoon gray wolf plush, with bright, blue glass eyes.

"Half a win, half a loss, where did you get those from? Besides, if I got half a win, wouldn't my win count went like 40.5? Where am I supposed to obtain another half a win to counteract that?" Ivanna replied, watching Fiora stare at the plush. Finally, Fiora left the counter and walked towards the two of them.

"This is yours, right?" Fiora offered the plush with both hands. The way she held it was strange, almost like she was holding a living, breathing creature.

"Keep it. More importantly, did you have fun?" Claire asked.

"It was... A good way to pass time." After a period of silence, Fiora answered and gave them a slight nod, while carrying the toy in a more relaxed manner. 

"Puppy!" A high-pitched voice broke the three out of their personal bubble.


	7. Respite (2)

The voice made Fiora tense for a brief, precious milisecond, the twitch of her shoulders unmistakable for the observant. 

Without a care, the little girl darted towards Fiora, eyeing the small toy in her hands with such enthusiasm. Still half-startled from the sudden encounter, Claire and Ivanna decided to look around, hoping to find the girl's guardian before they land in too much trouble.

"Hey, miss!" The girl greeted, her light brown hair waving in the wind. "Can I borrow the puppy?"

After a period of stunned silence, Fiora handed the plush, her hesitant movement showing that she has no clue on how to react.

"Thank you!" The girl was absolutely ecstatic, and she squeezed the plush close to her tiny body. Now that the three have the chance to collect themselves, they noticed that the little girl's clothes, though well-tended, was already faded, the once vivid green becoming a bright shade of tosca. She was a contrast to the vivid colors of the fair, and the fact she has no one accompanying her, made her even more odd. However, her platinum blonde hair was smooth and tidy, framing her amber eyes as such making it stand up even more.

"Lilliane, I told you not to run too far." A chastising male voice can be heard, as if answering the unspoken question shared between the three of them. 

A tall, handsome man approached the four of them, his strides sure and practiced. His wild, platinum blond hair seemed to compliment his sharp, brilliant blue eyes he sported, and his smile was enough to make most people melt in sheer adoration. His clothes, much like the child, looked faded and discolored, but his clothes did nothing to mar his appearance.

"Big brother, look! She gave me the puppy!" The girl, Lilliane, jumped up near the man, asking to be carried.

Ivanna and Claire stared at him, trying to figure out how exactly the two might be related due to the clear gap in age.

"She's a distant relative." The man said answering the unspoken question floating between them. 

He lifted the little girl with one hand and patted her head with the other. "Now, now, Lilliane. We can't take someone else's things, can we? Will you return it to the lady over there?"

"Aww, but…"

Fiora looked at the little girl and shifted her gaze towards Claire. 

Claire shrugged.

"You may keep it." Fiora said. "If you would like to."

"Thank you!" Lillie beamed, her genuine smile melting some of the ice hanging over the five. 

"Thank you." The man smiled, his sharp gaze softening just a little. "Let us introduce ourselves. I'm Charles, and this little one..."

"Lilliane!" The little girl answered, clearly happy that she got a new toy. 

"Forgive me for asking, but are you..." His gaze shifted towards Fiora, and he lowered his voice. "One of 'those'?"

Fiora stiffened just a little, her right hand touching the chain bound below her sleeve in reflex. 

"Not to worry, my feelings are right most of the time." The man smiled. "Thanks for entertaining her."

"You're welcome, I guess?" Ivanna said.

\--

Unbeknownst to them, a cloaked figure lurks among the shaded parts of the fair, shielding him from the view unless one looks very closely. His pierced bottom lip was the only thing visible, and the rest of his body was covered with a long hood and a flowing cloak that made identifying any other feature nigh-impossible.

"So, they're here, after all..." He mumbled under his breath, while staring at Claire. "It's unfortunate that this damn place is too crowded."

"Hey, are you here to have fun?" A woman's voice came from his right, her breath tickling his cheek.

Upon hearing the voice, Deci jumped and turned around, his gaze falling upon a woman with brown, wild hair extending to the middle of her back. Her emerald eyes sparkled with mischief, and her wide, unnatural grin exposed two rows of triangular teeth similar to those of a shark.

"You…"

"As far as I remember, I warned you already." The woman grasped the air in front of her, creating a set of violin and its bow. Even with the wide grin still in place, the woman radiated a sort of terrifying aura, a pure unadulterated terror that glides and surrounds the hooded man, threatening to suffocate him at any time. "Didn't we have an agreement?"

"You mistook one of my brothers for me, I have no obligation to do what you say."

It was the wrong answer.

Without warning, a painful, piercing shriek like those from nails on chalkboard echoed in his sensitive ears. Somehow, the crowd was oblivious to the voice, not even a peep or a glance at their direction beyond the occasional curiosity of what lies behind the shadowed part of the fair, a curiosity that wouldn't last even a few seconds.

"Dammit!" Deci gritted his teeth and shook his head, as if trying to drive the sound out of his system. However, when the woman moved the bow on her instrument, the sound echoed again, and finally he slumped on the ground in defeat. Blood trickled down his face, leaving a red trail on his pale visage.

"Now, on what I said. If sending one of you without one limb wasn't enough, perhaps I should cut you up then send the missing limb to them?" The woman approached him, stepping his head with a heeled boot. It was obvious, she had no regard for him, and for a moment, she almost decided not to step on him for fear of dirtying her clothing.

"Or maybe, I should make you wish you were dead?" With a rough yank, the woman removed Deci's hood, exposing a gray-haired young man with a pair of white-tipped gray cat ears. The ears have stopped bleeding, however the trail left by the blood is still wet.

"You... No matter what you do... As long as he is alive..."

"Are those ears just for show, or were you really deaf all along?" The woman asked. The violin set on her hands have disappeared, and she leaned down to take a warning nibble on his ear with rows of sharp teeth. "I have nothing to do with whoever he is, I merely asked you to do one thing, and you didn't heed it so. Many. Times." The woman stepped harder, as if trying to grind Deci's face into the pavement."

All of a sudden, she looked at the horizon, glancing at the setting sun.

"If I had more time, I will make sure that mouth of yours can only ask for forgiveness." The woman lifted her foot and stomped hard, grinding Deci's face into the pavement like one would step on a cockroach. Blood, flesh, and pieces of bone splattered everywhere, before turning into black puddles and dispersing into white smoke.

"Now, as much as I like his nagging..."

The woman turned around, her body fading into the air.


	8. Research

Ronan sighed, tossing his phone onto the side of his bed.

"Darn, she's pretty attached to that thing." He decided to stretch his body before finally stepping off from the bed. Ivanna's rather early and unexpected phone call asking him to go to the fair has thrown his mood into a sour state, as his good dreams fizzled out before he got a chance to truly finish it.

Yet again, he glanced at his phone, hints of indignation evident on his expression.

"No time to waste, while those girls are having fun, I really should use this time to watch." For some odd reason, the one and only organizer, Skylar Ferrophelas and his handpicked crew, absolutely refuses to let his show be broadcasted on TV or any other officially-approved sources, causing any enthusiasts to rely on amateur videos, watch the match directly on the arena, or get the results of the latest match from that one place known as the internet.

As much as he wished he could join and have fun, he was tired, and now that he has gotten someone in the IDM, he has to do his part if he want to keep receiving the points, and in turn the Rouds, from Claire's win. 

They made a promise, after all.

"Next match... So, it's either Luna and her Incarnation Venefica or that Theodore and his Kriem... Kriemhild? Quite the difficult name..." Ronan muttered, playing with the photo containing the participants list on his phone. As much as his inner enthusiast wants to see a good battle, his more pragmatic side wished they could get easier opponents so they could keep winning.

On the table, sheets of paper are all scattered about, each one of them containing two names - "Lilianne" and "Charles Thiterith". Next to the hasty, scrawled details collected from both the net and the time he watched the first elimination round, some rough sketches can be seen, depicting some sort of horned figure with pencil lines to depict some sort of silvery aura from the figure's greatsword.

Several other sets of papers, with names written on the top, can be seen stacked on the corner, more organized than the newly created papers scattered about. The words 'Maxwell', 'Iven', and 'Trosker' are some of the labels that can be seen on the other stacks.

Ronan glanced at the two names, Lilianne and Charles, and shook his head.

"That pair would be a problem..."

Deciding that the best course of action is to get in as early as possible, lest he got stuck in between the crowds, Ronan pushed himself to get going.

**

Even with planning, crowds aren't something that can simply be ignored on an event this big.

Ronan played with the small, black ticket with gold letters emphasizing 'IDM', while his eyes wander between the screen of his phone and the closed gates leading to the arena. After Fiora and Claire won the match, the discussions have changed, and some praises about her strategy can be heard. However, many others seem to disagree, citing the harm she inflicted on Reyvan as unnecessary and cruel.

"Hey! Are you not here with your friends?"

Ronan glanced at the general direction of that familiar voice, finding the dishevelled, white haired man he met along with the others. Similar to the day they met, Terry was still disheveled and dirty, but he has changed his dirty, worn suit for a slightly cleaner pair of casual clothes.

"Oh, hey." Ronan replied, slightly uncomfortable at the sudden meeting. "Are you here to watch as well?"

"Of course! I may not look like it, but I follow the trends as well." Terry flashed a bright, contagious smile, one that Ronan can't help but return.

"You got someone you cheer?"

"Too early to decide, though Lilianne and her partner does look promising. Your friend also got quite some guts too. Not everyone would set themselves on fire, at least not during the elimination match… Though, given the almost cheat skill on that birdhead... What do you think on the contestants so far, Ronan?"

Seeing some people have started to gather near the gate, Ronan decided to wait nearby in hopes he could get to his seat without bumping into too many people. As expected, Terry trailed behind him as well, humming an odd tune while waiting for an answer.

"So far, they're all strong, for the better or worse." Ronan shrugged. "I have a bad feeling on that Krie-something or whatever." 

"Kriemhild? Oh, you should've seen her in person, she's an interesting fellow." Terry hummed. "Luna and Venny are pretty nice."

"You? Knowing them in person?" Ronan asked, clearly bewildered.

"Don't forget that most contestants here has no idea about how to act as a public figure. In short, they are here just because they have a partnership with a supernatural entity. Without this partnership, they wouldn't ever step foot on the arena, let alone become famous." Terry replied.

"Hey, it's starting already. Wouldn't want to miss the action, would you?"

\--

As usual, it was packed. 

Ronan quickly found his seat in the front row, while Terry simply stood in front as if he owned the place. A part of himself thought that the things Terry did might be illegal, but he was in no mood to either dig deeper or question the odd fellow. In addition, as odd as he is, he still seemed like a decent sort, with his contagious smile and playfulness.

Minutes pass, and droves of people trailed in, finally filling up the rows of seats. Within a short period of time, the place became packed. Ronan thanked his lucky stars for the decision to come early, and the fact that the afternoon weather was cooperating. The cover from the white clouds, along with the gentle wind blowing across the place, made him feel much more comfortable.

Finally, after what felt like forever, the announcer's sharp voice broke the cacophony.

"Welcome, everyone! During the previous rounds, we have seen plenty of awesome moments, from a demon king annihilating his opponent with three words, the legendary, famed battle synergy between Carolina and Gilbert, and even a newcomer who defeated her opponent with a clever use of her partner's powers! Now, in the last battle for the elimination round, we have a pair of stunning, if highly unique, contestants! Show them your support!"

On cue, a round of applause rang throughout the arena.

A pair of women, both contrasting in age, walked into the arena. The woman walking on the left side wore a loose, translucent white dress, the color as beautiful as the clouds above. Her long blonde hair was braided into two plaits on the left and right side of her head, while her brown eyes looked stern and sharp.

Next to her, a small child with boyish cut hair walked in, her dress almost too cheerful for the literal life and death situation she walked into. Her aqua-colored eyes sparkled with interest and innocence. Saying that the two looked odd would be a severe understatement - it was like they had no idea on what kind of situation they would be dealing with.

"On the left side, we have Luna and Venefica, a known pair with massive following since the first announcement of the contestants! Now, in the last, but not least, battle for the elimination round, they can show their power!"

The beautiful woman waved at the crowd and gave a cordial smile, while the little girl removed the clasp from her chain necklace before giving it to the woman. In mere moments, the little girl's hair turned aqua, similar to her eyes, complete with black, wide-brimmed pointy hat and a multi-layered dress highlighted in various shades of blue.

The mage carried a spear almost twice her height with blue and purple markings etched on the surface. She twirled the weapon before riding it as how a stereotypical witch would ride a flying broom, before flying around the arena, close to the top of the protective field, while smiling and waving to all the contestants. It seems that people found the innocent, wide smile infectious, and they began smiling in return.

"A round of applause for the B-rank little mage!"

The audience cheered, as Venefica descended next to Luna. Luna gave the little girl a hug, before letting her land on the ground and grab her spear. Afterwards, Luna gave her a gentle smile, took off the little girl's hat and patted her head, ruffling her short aqua hair every which way.

"Give your best, but don't force yourself, okay Venny?" 

"Yes, big sis!" Venefica smiled and nodded.

Both of them looked at the dark hallway on the other side of the arena, waiting for their opponent to come out.

"Now, for the second team in this round, Theodore and his partner, Kriemhild! The man, along with his B-ranked Incarnation is a hidden gem with almost no profile outside what is known within the Death Match circles, if Luna is the prime target of admiration, he was the prime target for intrigue! Don't let his appearance fool you, I'm sure he packs a punch!"

Another pair walked out from the other hall.

An ancient man with dishevelled strands of wispy, dried white hair walked out from the hall. From his black cloak, bony fingers stuck out, grasping a luxurious, carved wooden cane topped with a brilliant, knuckle-sized emerald. His posture was hunched, and his steps sure but slow, giving the impression of a man who has seen everything under the sun.

Alongside the man, a tall, imposing woman walked in, her pale skin and waist-length white hair giving a brilliant glimmer even under the merciful afternoon sun. She was beautiful, almost otherworldly so, her pink eyes provided a nice contrast to her predominantly white features. 

Such a sight prompted murmurs in the crowd, some giving a low whistle of adoration or praising the old man, while others expressed their doubts at the abilities of the old man. Some countered that the other pair looked far too young, causing heated debates to occur in several sections of the audience seats.

"It's you." The woman said, her eyes narrowed and clear contempt in her gaze. "I had hoped that I was mistaken, I hoped to see an impostor. Seems that my hopes were dashed yet again." She hissed.

"Vio, Vio. You've grown, yet you still can't get your head away from the clouds." The old man shook his head. "When will you stop playing pretend with my weapon?"


	9. Research (2)

"Don't call me that. You say my head is too far above the clouds, while you bury your head in the sand. You wouldn't know hell even if it set your face on fire, you freak!" Luna gritted her teeth. "Venefica is not yours, nor does she belong to anyone else."

Sensing the tension, Venefica stood in front of Luna, brandishing her spear and trying to make her small body look as intimidating as possible. The little witch's face was twisted into a snarl - or at least an imitation of one - as her tiny features lean more towards the cute side and made her enraged expression more similar to a pout.

"How many times do I have to tell you that it was all for our own good?" The old man responded.

The elegant, white haired woman walked past the old man, removed her chain bracelet on her wrist, and gave the chain to him.

In mere moments, the woman's features seemed to melt, silver liquids leaking out from her pale skin and covering her entire body in a protective cocoon. Afterwards, the cocoon burst, revealing a silver haired woman wearing a jagged mask covering the upper part of her face. A pair of huge, bat-like wings, along with a reptilian tail, unfurled from her upper back, slick and sticky with silver liquid. Silver scales cover both of her hands and feet, up to the upper forearm and the knees, respectively. 

"What a pity, little one. Why must you disobey?" The masked figure shook her head. "Together, the four of us would have achieved such feats." Her voice sounded booming, commanding, an odd mix of male and female voices speaking at the same time. 

"Not interested." Luna's answer was curt, showing she has little desire to engage the draconic woman. 

"Now, it seems the two contestants are eager! A bet, perhaps? Or was it a rivalry that remains unsettled until this fateful day? Oh my, the possibilities!"

The two looked up at the same time, narrowing their eyes in disdain towards the announcer, before shifting their enraged stare towards each other yet again. 

"Are you seriously trying to drag the whole Altostra feud out there for everyone to see? Talk about childish." The woman hissed. "In case your ears went senile the first time, I didn't want, and still don't want to take part, on a petty dispute that includes, of all things, placing a small child in a life-threatening danger against her will."

"If you are trying to bring pity into this, then you made a grave mistake." The old man shook his head. "She is one of the important factors for our plan, and you stole her from us."

"Now, now. As per the rules, the match hasn't started yet. However, the mysterious feud certainly attracted attention from the crowds! Two contestants, as different as they can be, yet still connected?! Oh my!"

"Come on! Start the battle!"

"The dragon lady is really damn sexy!"

"Psh! She can hear you!"

Of course, upon hearing the comment, said lady glanced at their general direction, her expression unreadable. Based on the twitch of her lips, it was apparent that she found the remark rather distasteful - however, the twitch disappeared as if it was never there in the first place, and the mask covering her eyes made discerning her reaction even more difficult. The jagged mask looked more like a blindfold than a proper mask, and if there were a hole for her to see through, it was not apparent enough to be seen from a casual glance.

"Without further ado, let's start the countdown! Ten!"

"Nine!"

"You mean, I saved her. This is exactly why I chose to leave the Altostras, any riches you offer will not be enough to erase your deeds."

"Then, I will ensure you are no longer able to pose a threat to us." The woman replied and outstretched her hands, causing a huge tide of silver liquid to appear from behind. The tide formed a menacing shadow on the ground, its highest tip almost touching the upper part of the surrounding barrier.

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

"Sister, come with me!" Venefica lowered her body, increasing the speed of her flight, and swooped Luna onto the spear just as the silver tide came crashing down. Within moments, as if unable to support its own existence, the tide dispersed and rushed back to Kriemhild, manifesting as a dense ball no bigger than the size of a single knuckle.

"Kriemhild, stop playing around, and put her down!" Theodore snapped and gripped the ornate gem perched on his cane in anger, his fingers becoming similar to a spidery growth encircling the beautiful emerald.

"Have you forgotten your own order? You have agreed to let me use my own methods to defeat her." Kriemhild answered, the displeasure evident in her odd, mixed voice. "Do not think of treating me as one of your toys, unless you would like to see how it feels on the receiving end of the silver tide." Kriemhild outstretched her right hand, beckoning the molten silver ball to come. 

The silver ball separated into two parts, one part forming a claymore as tall as her body on her right hand and the other forming a towering shield on her left hand. She carried both massive weapons with ease, even more evident as she started rising from the ground with a small flutter of her wings.

"Kriemhild!" 

"Silence!" The woman snarled, and the man obeyed, even with clear irritation written all over his wrinkled face.

"Young one, it seems that you require a more intense method for correction." Kriemhild turned her head towards Luna, acting like the mask did not even hinder her in the slightest.

"I don't want anything to do with you, or that old crone down there." Luna replied. "Venefica, let's go."

"Alright, sit tight!" Unbothered by the weight of an adult sitting on her spear, Venefica rushed forward, fast enough for both of them to become nothing more than a pair of blurry black shadows. 

Clang!

Within a split second, a piercing noise rang throughout the place, causing shockwaves to spread from the point of impact until they disappeared when they touched the barrier. Even though the force from the shockwaves were neutralized, the sound still caused more than a few audience to wince in pain.

The tip of the blue spear kept on pressing the tower shield.

"Somniferum Wind."

Venefica muttered, before the two finally backed off from each other. A refreshing citrus scent, mixed with the sweet smell of cocoa wafted throughout the arena. A few wrinked their nose in distaste, while others took a deep breath in response to the smell. 

When the smell touched Ronan's nose, he scrunched up his face in distaste before letting out a loud sneeze, loud enough to prompt other contestants to turn and look at him in bewilderment. Oddly, as if he has expected it, Terry was unaffected, as he simply covered his nose with a dirty handkerchief.

"Why..."

He sneezed again.

"…Didn't you tell me about this?!"

"Well, you didn't ask." Through his handkerchief, Terry flashed a sweet smile, his eyes enough of an indication to his sincerity. "It's actually a pretty good smell, though I have a bit of cold today. It's unfortunate that I have to pass for now." 

"As a fellow fan, wouldn't this be the kind of information fans will go wild over? I mean, compared to the old man over there, have you looked at their profiles online? They might as well be stars!"

"Well, I'm not much of an online savvy." Terry shrugged. "Besides, it'll come as a pleasant new info this way, doesn't it?"

"Fair."

The two combatant has separated from each other and landed on the ground, each without obvious wounds.

"You're stronger than before, little one." Kriemhild gave her opponents a small smile. "Have you been training since we separated?"

Venefica lowered her spear, jumped down with Luna, and stabbed her weapon into the ground.

Boom!

The weapon, upon contacting the ground, made the entire arena shook, a violent tremor that somehow went past the protective forcefield and rippled through the seats. Ronan felt dizzy, causing him to hold the back of the seat in front of him for support, however, Terry seemed unaffected, and his body did not even shake the slightest bit even as almost everyone else were taken off guard.

"Oh? That is impressive." Theodore hummed, giving Venefica an appreciative glance. "How did you make a B-rank capable of A-rank feats?"

"Not your business. Venefica?"

"Sure, big sister!"

The witch pushed the massive spear even deeper, causing cracks filled with lava to form and spread towards Kriemhild and Theodore's side. 

The lava within it bubbled and exploded, creating pillars of golden lava to form in random intervals throughout the cracks. 

"Hm, this is definitely interesting. What do you think, Theodore?"

"You are correct. I bought her as a B, but this power definitely is from an A... Well, if you stretch the definition a bit, you can say it's almost a Divine-level." Theodore nodded. Kriemhild was floating right above the sea of lava, while Theodore stood in a platform made of hardened liquid silver. In spite of his proximity, the heat doesn't seem to bother him.

"Change of plans, let's capture her. Kriemhild, Bladed Mode."

"Yes, Theodore."

Kriemhild's gear coalesced back into a ball of silver liquid, before separating into a chainmail armor covering her crotch and chest. A pair of gloves and shoes cover both her hands and feet, each attached with a long, sharp silver blade. A small ball of remaining silver liquid formed a long sword near her mouth, gripped with the help of a long, forked tongue.

"Shall we, little one?" Kriemhild said, before lunging forward.

In response, Venefica pulled out her spear.

A gust of wind blew, and every single crack and lava river disappeared from the arena, leaving nothing but a hole marking where the spear once stood. The entire arena went quiet, including the audience seats.

"You-"

"Too late, Kriemhild." Luna said, a small smirk gracing her expression. "Do you realize now?"

Kriemhild turned around and dashed towards Theodore, just as Venefica knocked down and stepped on the old man. The 'D' shaped pendant hung precariously on the top of her spear.

"Urk!"

As soon as Venefica stepped on the old man, Kriemhild stabbed the little witch's midsection, causing Venefica to spit out blood.

"Big sister!"

"Ven!"

In moments, Luna felt a throbbing pain on her midsection, causing her to fall flat on her stomach. Ignoring the pain as best as she could, she tried to stand up and run closer to her partner.

"Ven!"

In the end, Kriemhild tossed the little witch towards Luna, causing the two to collide with a painful thud.

"We shall come back later."

Her bloodied weapon coalesced back into a ball of liquid silver, before forming a platform to carry the unconscious old man away from the arena.


	10. Regain

"What... What was that?"

Ronan felt dizzy. The moment the battle ended, the citrus-like scent dispersed, and the scene changed before his very eyes. The seas of lava, the cracks, the heat, all disappeared without leaving a trace, as if the whole thing was nothing but a realistic joke.

"Are you okay?" Terry asked from next to him.

"I'll be fine." Ronan replied and sighed. "I feel a bit dizzy, but I'll live."

"Do you need some help?" 

"I'll be fine."

"Alright, if you need something, don't hesitate to say so." Terry flashed a gentle smile, before turning away to look at the arena below. The woman, Kriemhild, together with Theodore has left the arena after the surprise blow, leaving Venefica and Luna in the arena.

The silence that enveloped the arena showed that the announcer were similarly confused on what happened.

Finally, after several seconds that felt like an eternity, the announcer whistled, attempting to cover the fact that he was confused for a bit.

"That was an unexpected outcome, a B-rank Incarnation defeating an A-rank with a surprise attack! As per the rules, the win for this last round goes to the audience favorite, Luna and Venefica! The reward of ten thousand points will be deposited as per the rules!"

Most cheered, their screams loud enough to drown out the sounds of displeasure or even the conversation from several groups gathering in the audience seats.

"Hey, Ronan. Say... What do you think?"

"Honestly, that was... A bit anticlimactic." Ronan shrugged. "The battle was a bit on the quicker side."

"Of course, Kriemhild let her guard down, after all."

"What do you mean?"

"That's for you to discover." Terry hummed. "Wouldn't want to ruin the surprise."

"Then why bother saying, dammit."

"It might be of use to you, of course. Who knows, you might be able to discover the secret before the day comes." 

Terry stood up, his gaze distant.

"We will meet again, Ronan."

\--

After walking home to clear his mind, Ronan threw himself on the nearest couch from the front door, sighing after thinking about Terry's odd behavior. The guy was nice, if a bit cryptic, but there was an odd perfection to his behavior. It was similar to watching a movie or a show, that no matter how realistically one tries to act, there will always be an unrealistic feel to it.

He was pleasant, but everything about him felt… rehearsed.

Mere hours after the battle, the internet was abuzz with theories as usual. However, this time, there seems to be several conflicting threads at once, both describing two vastly different versions of what happened. Some described the battle he saw, with the seas of lava and cracked earth before the battle ended and everything came back to what it was.

Others said that the battle ended in mere minutes, all with one slash to take down the old man.

As of this afternoon, the scant amount videos posted seems to corroborate the latter version. However, the damage was done, and the forum is divided into two factions, those who saw the elemental magic, and those who saw nothing but one unfair slash aimed at the old man's exposed backside.

"Well..."

He swiped the screen on his phone, his thumb hovering over Claire's contact information. After several minutes of staring at the numbers on the screen, he decided to contact her

He told her all the information he collected about the probable next enemies, and debated with himself to either tell them to be wary about Terry, before finally deciding to shove the matter on the back of his thoughts. Even though he has his suspicions, there was no actual evidence, and undue suspicions would probably hinder them rather than help. 

With his phone in hand, he returned back into his room, eager to rest after the day.

\--

Claire tossed and turned, the day's excursion was not enough to tire her out. Since the encounter, for some reason she felt restless, the feeling similar to a persistent slow, rhythmic clawing on a wooden surface. There was a feeling of something, something odd, something similar to an itch from somewhere she couldn't place...

At last, she woke up.

The first thing she noticed in the darkness of her bedroom is the lack of a figure sleeping on the floor next to her.

"Fiora?"

Even with the less than stellar lighting from the star-shaped nightlight on the desk across the bed, it was clear that the girl has disappeared somewhere in the dead of night.

Now that she's more or less fully awake, Claire decided to step off from the bed and go outside the room, careful to tiptoe when passing through Ivanna's room. From the window, even with the dim nightlight, Ivanna can be seen sprawled on the bed, one leg hanging from the side.

A bit far from the tables, almost to the corner of the wall, Fiora sat on the floor. Her chain bracelet was lying on the floor next to her, while flames dance on the top of her palm. The flame danced and spun around, forming various swirly shapes, before slowing down and finally forming a tiny golemlike creature made of red crystals and dancing orange flames. The creature has nothing below the waist, instead, a trail of fire and smoke can be seen there.

"Feeling restless even after today?" Claire said, sitting on the chair from the nearby dining table. "You can sit there, if you want. After all, the floor is rather cold. Just be careful." Claire pointed at the chair next to hers.

Fiora played with fire for a few seconds before finally nodding, taking her chain and letting her form return to the familiar ashen girl Claire had gotten familiar with in the short time they spent together.

"Can't sleep?" 

"No, I was merely thinking." Fiora answered, sitting at the chair Claire pointed at a few seconds earlier. 

"What happened? Something you… No, something troubling you?"

"Nothing but a feeling, that's all." Fiora sighed. "It has come to my attention that I might have forgotten some of my techniques."

"What do you mean? You looked fine at the first round."

Fiora shook her head.

"Even though that might be the case, I was not performing my best. I have recalled one, however I can't say for certain how much more I lost." 

"Take your time, then. There is no real reason to rush. If it helps, would you show it to me? The technique you remembered, I mean."

"You have seen the end result. However, I do not see harm in replicating it once more." Fiora nodded, removing her chain once more. The moment her armor came into existence, it felt like a surge of heat came together and gathered in front of them, forming small embers in the air. The embers all turned into a cloud of swirling fire.

A few moments passed, and the top of the small tornado hardened into red crystals, forming a golem with gemlike upper body and a spectral, dancing fire for its lower body. As the golem fully materialized, the heat from the room dropped bit by bit, the tiny creature absorbing the heat and keeping it in.

Not content to keep the creature static, the golem moved and raised both of its fists, the holes around the face moving like it was shouting a battle cry. Even though the hole around where the mouth should be moved the most, not a single peep of sound can be heard.

Afterwards, the golem swung its tiny right fist forward, while moving its mouth as if it was grunting. It was clear, that the gesture would be intimidating in the battlefield, or at least powerful as a message - however, the super deformed look of the stone creature made the expression lean towards the cute side, like a tiny collectible toy capable of movement.

Claire smiled at the little creature.

"I am relieved you seems to enjoy it." Fiora moved the little creature again, and it made an impression of spreading its arms in a big hug.

"It does look really cute." Claire smiled, forcing herself to swallow the upcoming question about the effectiveness of such a technique on the battlefield. "That aside, though. Don't you feel tired? My head is pounding already." Claire rubbed her forehead.

"I will be fine, you should go first. I will follow later."


	11. Reaccess

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> .

Fiora rubbed her nose with the back of her hand, trying to clear the remaining smell of citrus lingering around in the air. It was only by sheer chance that Claire failed to notice them, drowsiness perhaps to be blamed. The two intruders stood in the corner of the room, their presence masked with the aid of illusions.

"You have one minute to convince me of your reason, or I will be more than willing to torch you two even with the risk of leaving a trace."

"Big sis, we meant no harm. This is the only way." A figure reappeared from the shadows of the dark room, whispering with a high-pitched voice. The figure next to her has a long blonde hair tied into plaits, with a pair of stern, sharp brown eyes. The contrast was clear as day, and were the small child not sitting on a floating spear, it would be easy to mistake the two as a cosplaying child accompanied by a guardian.

"I apologize for startling you, Fiora. You may call me Luna, or Vio if you want, and this is Venefica." The blonde woman pointed at the little girl. "I came to request your cooperation."

"What will we get for cooperating? We do not even speak to each other before, and you could be a spy, or a stalker."

"I will give you my word that I have never interacted with the two of you before this." The woman looked at the witch next to her, and the witch conjured a piece of paper filled with pictures and a list of names, with the ever-present smell of citrus accompanying such a simple display of magic. "For most of the day, I was in the Death Match, as can be seen here. If you still have your doubts, you can verify it with another source." Luna nodded.

"Big sis, we just want to talk. Please?" Venefica looked at Fiora with a gaze innocent enough to cloud judgement for most.

"Talk." Fiora said, her reply curt and both her chains ready to strike. The room's temperature slowly, but surely, rose bit by bit, stopping just short from igniting things around to a crisp.

"As far as I know, we would be facing each other in the next match. If you are willing to do a favor for me, we are more than willing to throw the match and give you the winning points."

"This favor you speak of would be..."

"Protection." Luna said. "I have no need for money, nor the fame from winning the Death Matches, you can have it all, and in exchange, we want to count you as our ally."

"And what if I refuse? Is there any reason you will not speak to Claire instead of me?"

"Can you not think for yourself?" Luna asked back, her voice terse. "I just want your protection, a protection of a Divine ranker that recently surfaced and whose existence can be verified instead of the missing or unknown Divines."

"Surely, you realize that ranks do not hold sway in the outcome of a combat?"

"Big sis, let me talk." Venefica interrupted, her high pitched voice not preventing her words from carrying the weight it should. "We need help, and our current situasion has not been kind to us. We have lost much, and should our last stand meet the sharp edge of failure, we only ask you for your cooperation so we can rest and begin our plan anew."

"What is this plan of yours?"

"I can't say. Please forgive us." Venefica shook her head. "This is our fight, and we have promised to never involve anyone."

"Wait, Venefica. Something is off." Luna looked towards the door, seemingly focused on something behind it.

"This is... Another Incarnation is lurking outside!" Venefica whispered, gripping the spear she sat on until her tiny knuckles turned white. "Unless we want to cause a racket here, big sis, we should get out of here!"

"How do you expect we get out?" Fiora took her chain again, returning herself into Bound Form. "If we fight around here, we are bound to cause an inconvenience to my…"

There was an audible silence for several long seconds, as if she was unsure of her wording choices.

"…partner, and not to mention, we are not considered humans, and thus are not welcome here. If my guess proved itself correct, our culprit for this predicament would be the two of them yet again."

"You have an idea of what the Incarnation outside is after?" Luna raised her eyebrows.

"Yes, there is only one option to who they could be, and what exactly they are after." Fiora nodded. "As far as I know, they are obsessed with my partner, and as of now, she is neither in the state to fight to the fullest or even flee."

"I know!" Luna exclaimed, her whisper almost reaching shrill levels of voice. "I could make them chase you instead, and ensure they won't enter here."

'Will you take this act as the proof of our intentions?" Luna asked.

"Fine, I will trust you two." Fiora nodded, while creeping closer to the door. Venefica and Luna, both riding on the flying spear, followed suit, moving a tad bit faster than Fiora.

In almost no time, the three of them reached the door.

"Hold your breath." Venefica said, and nodded in satisfaction after Fiora and Luna covered their mouth and nose.

"Somniferum Gale." Venefica chanted, her voice steady and barely more than a whisper. Unknown to the two of them, the smell of citrus wafted out from the room.

"Now!" Venefica opened the door, pulling Fiora's hand with her, and the three of the bolted out of the room, to the bewilderment of the pair standing outside and whispering. 

From the pair's perspective, the door to the room disappeared, leaving nothing but a solid wall, while what seemed to be Claire and Fiora was running out from the room at full speed.

The two was caught off guard, not expecting their target to run out so easily.

"Let's go, Deci!"

"On your command, Oscar!"

Of course, disregarding the odd citrus smell, both Deci and Oscar ran as fast as they could towards the general direction the two girls are running. While in the middle of their run, Deci created and scattered several of his clones as a precaution, to ensure all corners of their target's possible hiding places are accounted for.

\--

"Good, they took the bait, what now, Venefica?" Luna asked, dangling her legs while flying on the little witch's spear. "The room disappearing trick you pulled isn't going to last forever, and the moment they realize, they'll be free to strut in and do as they please."

"Don't worry, big sis. I made sure the illusion stays for at least several hours unless I remove it, and I did apply a more permanent version of Somniferum Gale before we run off."

"More permanent?" Luna quirked her eyebrows.

"Well, how do you think we managed to hide for so long, big sis?" Venefica smiled. "The best thing about smells is that they'll disappear in two sniffs for most, as long as they decide that the smell isn't a threat. I mean, who hates citrus smells?"

The three of them dashed as fast as possible while trying to remain quiet, not wishing to attract too much attention to themselves.

They stopped near a wide clearing hidden in the middle of a large park, with a luxurious marble fountain in the middle. The fountain was already turned off, but the dim yellow streetlights around them shone and made the statue on the fountain seem to sparkle and glow with golden light.

Venefica and Luna jumped off the spear, and the little witch twirled the massive weapon around in a show of strength.

As expected, both Deci and Oscar arrived within moments, bringing a group of hooded men. The men, each with an appearance identical to Deci, surrounded the three of them in the middle, as if they were a cultist preparing for a sacrificial ritual. Venefica, no longer cloaked in invisibility illusion, reappeared, while the smell of citrus still lingered on Luna, maintaining her Claire disguise.

"Give her to me, and I'll make sure you leave this place alive." Oscar said, his hand outstretched. All the Deci clones are ready to fight, the knives on their hands are dripping with colorless poison. Plumes of white smoke, along with a sharp hissing sound, can be heard throughout the place, radiating a pungent odor that made Venefica's nose twitch in disgust.

"I'm sorry, mister! I can't just hand my friend over here to you." Venefica replied, sticking out her tongue, and brandished her spear. Fiora's chain has already been removed and placed on the ground, causing the chilly night air to feel a bit warmer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Reaccess, the chapter where a child showed superior conflict de-escalation power.
> 
> Comments and kudos will always make my day a little bit brighter!


	12. Rend

Both sides went quiet, each sizing the other up and refusing to give in. The quiet hours have made the tension more palpable, enough to make passersby suffocate, if there were any at such a dead hour. Several seconds that felt like eternity passed, and Venefica decided to strike first.

"Somniferum Typhoon!" She chanted, stabbing the blunt end of her spear into the grassy ground. The effect was immediate, and the spear conjured a spinning, mid-sized tornado filled with purplish pink petals. The smell of citrus, refreshing and sweet, wafted throughout the place. Knowing the effect of the smell, Fiora and Luna covered their noses and mouth with the back of their hand.

They remain unaffected by the spinning tornado, in reality merely nothing but a slow spinning wind, while the group of men surrounding them, along with Deci and Oscar, was thrown back several meters away. Without wasting time, Fiora whipped out her chains, all four chains from both gauntlets tipped with red, hot crystals shaped like the end of an arrow, in an attempt to injure some of them.

One unlucky clone met the sharp end of Fiora's chains, and said clone disintegrated into black liquid before dispersing into white smoke. Within moments, shadows appeared from thin air, and swirled, becoming a replacement clone.

"Fiora, I suggest you go for the real one!" Luna gestured towards the clones closest to Oscar. "I think that area would be your best bet!"

Fiora nodded, leaving Venefica and Luna in the middle. Upon realizing the opportunity, several clones threw their weapons, attempting to capture Luna and underestimating Venefica's power.

With an enraged snarl, Venefica spun her spear in the air and stabbed the blunt end on the ground, causing the blades of grass below the attacking clones to turn into massive green snakes. The snakes seemed to be attached on the ground, rooted and unable to move, but their sheer length enough to constrict the clones that aren't fast enough to get out of the way, strangling them until they become nothing but black ichor disappearing into white smoke.

The knives they threw hit the ground and clattered away, the poison on the tips useless and staining the pristine ground with rotting blades of grass instead. As quick as the clones are dispersed, new ones take their place within seconds.

"Fiora, what are you waiting for? Just do it! We'll deal with the consequences!" Luna shouted.

Deciding to not hold back, Fiora unleashed a rain of red crystals, killing a huge chunk of clones at once without giving them a chance to replenish their numbers. Smoke and embers rained onto the grass and flora, turning the fallen leaves into piles of ash. Dried branches fell down and ignited more things on their way down, and were it not for the cold winds, the place might have gone up in flames by now. 

With the clones' advance temporarily halted, both Venefica and Luna was able to approach the last few clones, together with Deci and Oscar. Without hesitation, Fiora unleashed a column of fire, taking out the last few clones in one shot.

Clap! Clap!

Deci clapped in a foreboding manner.

"Now I see what is going on here." Deci was still standing, his cloak tattered at the ends. The heat wave knocked back his hood, revealing a pale face of a young man with a pierced lip. A pair of grey cat ears tipped with white fur twitched with interest, while the fanged grin he flashed was way too laden with meaning to be considered as nothing else but simple courtesy.

"Shadow Union, retreat and go back to the place we started."

Shadows coalesced into ten clones, all rushing back towards the direction of the apartment.

"Do you think I would let you?" Venefica flew and stood in front of the clone hordes. "Somniferum Typhoon!"

"That won't work twice." Deci hummed while focusing on Fiora, and the giant tornado filled with purple petals fizzled away, revealing the truth of it as nothing but a small, spinning whirl radiating a citrus-like fragrance. As a consequence, the technique, once perceived as an unstoppable force of nature, did not affect the clones at all. 

"Every ounce of your power relies on deception, after all. Am I right, little witch?"

Venefica bit her lip, but she recovered within seconds. Together with Luna, she used her spear to fly and stab the clones' heart with the pointy end. However, deprived of the means to attack more than one at once, it was clear to anyone that it was only a matter of time until the little witch gives in to exhaustion.

Seeing the struggle behind her target, Fiora tried to summon another rain of fire.

Only to be attacked by several knives flying towards her with the precision of bullets. Caught off guard, the poisoned knives grazed her right calf, left cheek, and left forearm, leaving hot, stinging wounds. The wounds hissed and burned with white smoke.

"I am your opponent, Fiora." Deci said, countless knives floating around him. From afar, the knives looked more like swarms of silver bugs obeying his every command.

Fiora did not reply, and wiped her cheek to clean the excess blood with the back of her gauntlet. Even with the distracting sharp pain, her expression remained unperturbed, and the ruby claws on both gauntlets glowed with heat. 

The cold winds of the night transformed into a heat wave, not enough to burn, yet enough to make the place a little warmer.

\--

"Argh!"

The pain started out dull, no more than a nuisance, that transformed into stinging, red bruises as hot as an unexpected fever. Eventually, Claire was roused from her peaceful slumber, and she rubbed her calf, forearm, and cheek, before her blue eyes darted at Fiora's usual sleeping spot. 

Of course, she wasn't there.

Her eyes snapped open, her heart gripped by panic even worse than the pain. The bruises were long and painful similar to a knife wound yet not quite breaking skin, but the panic of seeing her missing companion was enough to render the sting no more than a dull throb. With a sudden vigor, she jumped off from the bed and walked out.

A quick check in the living and dining room, along with a peek into Ivanna's messy room revealed that she was not there.

Near the door, a small purple flower took root, the bright white aura of the small plant bathing the dark room with a dim white glow. Citrus-like smell constantly radiate from the small flower, giving a refreshed, comfortable feeling.

She touched one petal, feeling the smooth, almost plastic texture of the fragile plant.

The glow from the purple flower let her see that the door were unlocked.

Realization dawned upon her, and she ran out as fast as her legs could carry her, scarcely remembering to close the door behind her. The place was eerily quiet, not even a hint of sound indicating there are people living nearby. The citrus scent she sensed earlier can still be felt, the smell diffused over a large area.

Outside, the ambience of midnight was disturbed by a reddish-orange glow coming from the park several blocks away, the glow bright enough to become a beacon in its own right.

The streets are quiet, presumably everyone has retired for the night. Almost no vehicles can be seen passing by.

Without further ado, the girl ran towards the direction of the park, traces of tiredness gone from her visage. She focused on one thing only.

Her partner is in danger.

\--

"Fighting with restraint as to not leave any trace, while not suffering any further damage other than the initial three attacks? I'll have to admit, you are worthy of the Divine title."

Deci and Fiora are both locked in a vicious dance, none of them giving any opening for the other side to gain leverage. Melted, misshapen lumps with green puddles are scattered around, marring the place even further.

Fiora moved with careful, calculated steps, while her four chains maneuver in such a way as to only make minimal mess on the ground and trees. All four chains thrum with power and glowed orange, casting light bright enough to overpower the dim yellow streetlights.

"But, how about this?"

Deci stopped moving, and conjured thousands upon thousands of knives in the air above Fiora, all pointing downward. The glint of poison reflected the orange lights from the fire.

"Arsenic Rain."

The knives all descended at the same time and turned into silver blurs. Fiora barely had enough time to pull all four of her chains and change their direction, each chain spinning to deflect the never ending onslaught.

Deci grinned, and conjured several more knives in front of himself, the pointed end all directrd towards Fiora. 

"Goodbye."

"Fiora!"

The sudden voice made everyone, including Deci, stop in their tracks, and even the clones fighting with Venefica and Luna stopped to look at the direction of the voice.

"Get her!"

Oscar was the first to snap out of his reverie and react, ordering the shadowy clones of his Incarnation to swarm and attack the defenseless woman.

"Are you guys really abandoning me?" Venefica mused, and flew at top speed towards Claire as well. Her superior speed allowed her to reach the girl first, and she stabbed another clone and caused it to disperse on her way.

"Seems this is my lucky day. Somniferum Gale!"


	13. Rend (2)

Upon the chant, Claire disappeared without a trace from the garden, starting from her fingertip. Behind the cloak of illusion, right after Venefica arrived to save her, Claire ran and hid on the nearest cluster of trees.

Even the grass she stood on mere moments before looked undisturbed by her footsteps. The familiar smell of citrus, yet again, accompanied her magic. It was a stroke of luck that Claire touched the flower perched near the door earlier, the tiny amounts of Venefica's magic trace on it helped the witch to execute an elaborate illusion magic faster than she otherwise would.

"Remember, I'm your opponent!" Venefica looked damp with sweat, her short blue hair clumped and sticky around her face and in her hat. Her dress looked dirty, and her breaths came out ragged and short, but she still took the time to swirl around in the air, before stopping in front of where Claire stood moments ago.

Wrong answer.

The clones had half their face obscured by the matching hoods they wear, but the twitch of their lips alone was enough to convey their feelings. Their neutral expressions hardened into a snarl, and some even gritted their teeth in barely concealed rage. 

"For our brother!"

"Even if the world collapses, we will serve Deci!"

"Get her! This is our chance to please Deci!"

"Don't let her escape!"

The rage was the start of an onslaught, and each clone threw multiple knives at the witch and Luna, forming a hail of relentless, poisonous knives that embedded itself on the trees around them and on the ground, causing the plant life around to hiss and emanate pungent white smoke. Outnumbered and caught by surprise, both Venefica and Luna was forced into defending, the little witch maneuvering her flight in such a way to keep the poison from searing their bodies yet also keeping the clones from tipping the scales of battle in favor of Oscar and Deci.

\--

After an endless onslaught, the rain of knives finally let up and slowed down, and Fiora was able to slow down the dance of her four chains. From the looks of it, it was clear that the technique took a lot of Deci's energy reserves, leaving him vulnerable and without means to counterattack for a time at least. The cat-eared assassin dry coughed, right as the last few knives fell, while wiping the blood trails staining his hands and cheek with his black robe.

Meanwhile, save for her tattered underclothes and scratches here and there on her silver armor, Fiora was very much unharmed. At one point, one knife did came dangerously close to her throat, however, her chains made quick work of it, leaving only a strand of her hair falling down to the grassy land right next to a misshapen lump of now useless metal.

"I underestimated you, did I? Even though you haven't regained your memories yet..." 

"I have sensed you in many occassions, even when we went to that place earlier in the day." Fiora said, not acknowledging the assassin's comment. "However, you disappeared before I managed to catch up and investigate."

"That is impossible, you should be the only one there. Unless..."

The clones' onslaught on Venefica and Luna slowed down, the forms of those cloaked men flickering for several seconds before disappearing into nothing. It was clear that Deci was losing the battle of attrition.

"It's my loss this time, huh?" Deci gave a dry smile and sighed. He stood up, no longer in a battle stance, and walked towards Oscar's side. The link the two of them shared was more evident than ever this time. The blond man looked tired and beaten up, his teeth gritted in pain to keep himself from screaming and attracting attention towards their battle. The wounds lining Deci's face and hands were reflected on Oscar as a series of nasty red bruises in the same shape as the bloody gashes and burn wounds. "I'm sorry, Oscar. We have to retreat."

"Claire, you really are lucky, you know?" Oscar rubbed the bruises lining both his hands, a strained smile gracing his face. "Heh, if I were a little sooner, perhaps I would have you back with me that day. Like how it was not even one year ago. How long was it, ten months?"

"We are through, Oscar. Stop living in the past." Claire walked out from the cluster of trees, her tone firm and resolute, yet with a slight waver showing she was trying her damnedest to keep her tone even. "I told you, we can't continue, and I have to stop living in lies." She stopped next to Fiora, but not too close, as if she was hesitant to lean and count on the help of her own partner. The show of what could be interpreted as distrust didn't go unnoticed, but Fiora chose to hold her tongue.

For now, that is.

Venefica and Luna, freed from the onslaught of clones, flew next to Claire, their gaze focused on Deci.

Venefica looked at her partner for an advice, and Luna shook her head. She knew what exactly the little witch was thinking.

"This is their problem to solve."

"Lies? Was those few years a lie to you? The laughter we shared? The time we spent? Those were all lies?"

"No, I loved you, it's my fault. Please, you are just making this even harder than it needs to be. Just... Please." Claire shook her head, a few stray tears glimmering on the side of her eyes, before disappearing as she stubbornly blinked them away. "I can't do this anymore. I have my emotional baggage to solve, something I have to do by myself. I can't keep draining you, I have to go, and you don't deserve to stay back because of my selfishness."

"Selfishness? There is nothing selfish about you, Claire. Come back, dear, and we can enjoy those days. I promise that I will do anything to ensure you felt like nothing happened."

"… Ah, I see. I get the gist of this whole mess now, I guess?" Deci scratched the back of his head. Without his hood, he looked far less intimidating, his pierced bottom lip, pale skin, and grey cat ears tipped with white made him look more like a mischievous sort instead of a cold-blooded killer. In a way, he looked pleasing, his appearance a mix of cute and handsome.

With one swift chop, the cat assassin hit the back of Oscar's head.

"Deci... You..."

Caught off guard, the blond slumped and fell, his once narrowed green eyes relaxing as the lull of sleep pulled him under.

"Sorry, master. I'll deal with you later." He muttered, his expression that of amusement. "Heh, this really is unbecoming of me. Thank me later, you three. We'll meet again."

Before the four could react, Oscar and Deci had disappeared, leaving them in stunned silence. The marks they left in the once-pristine garden was clear even in the dim light, ensuring that they would have to deal with a lot of gossips surrounding the place for several days at the very least.

"Relax, I'll deal with this. Consider us allies, and we can give access to all kinds of conveniences for you." Luna said, knowing what Claire is thinking. "Don't think about this too much. Venny, if you will?"

Venefica winked, jumped down from her spear, and waved the weapon in the air, creating a whirlwind mixed with purplish white petals. As soon as the wind stopped, white light filled the garden, creating small specks of white descending upon the ground like falling snow. Most of the light specks landed behind the protection of the tree bark, where they would remain unseen without a careful eye, before turning into small, beautiful purple flowers smelling of citrus.

"The smell will only be felt when someone comes in, but then it'll disappear behind the protection of the illusion." Venefica explained. "While the illusion lasts, I'll repair the place. You two just rest easy."

Before Claire and Fiora can reply, the two disappeared into swirling flower petals.

\--

"You got into such a mess this time, Master." Deci sighed, nimbly jumping on rooftops while carrying Oscar in his arms the way a worker would carry a sack of harvest over the shoulder. "Love, hm? Such an odd concept..." 

"Do not take another step."

"And who might you be?" Deci stopped and placed the unconscious form of his partner on the roof, before assuming a fighting stance. His pale green slitted eyes were narrowed in disdain. "As you can see, I'm very busy right now, but if you don't cause trouble, I'll pretend nothing happened."

Before him, the looming form of what could only be described as an angelic abomination cast a shadow covering everything on that roof. The creature before him was deathly pale, its skin alabaster white, and possessed a pair of hollow, metallic golden eyes shining in contrast with its black sclera. The four wings on its back looked like contraptions made of spinning gears, bits of silver, and decorated with glimmering crystals shining in various colors.

Silence passed, the winds whipping the abomination's lavender hair and Deci's gray hair every which way. 

"You can wound me, scream at me, or curse me, however..."

The angel disappeared, and reappeared right in front of Deci, catching the cat-eared assassin off guard.

"I am doing this for your own good."

An alabaster hand grasped Deci's neck, knocking the wind out from him, before binding him with golden chains glowing in divine light. Together, the two disappeared, leaving Oscar lying unconscious on the roof.

Right as they disappear, a slight whisper can be heard, as if the winds were speaking.

"And you will never convince me that this is not the correct decision."


	14. Reassure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me furiously writing this: Serotonin go brrr

Today marks the second time the two of them stepped into the battlefield.

Several days after the night incident, no one talked or even noticed the marred state of the formerly beautiful park, proof that the mysterious little witch and the woman kept her promise. Before she had the chance to ask and pry more information, they were gone, leaving the scent of citrus with their disappearance.

Even though they were able to get some rest, their tournament day does not get any easier, nor does Claire feel any less jittery due to anticipation. If anything, witnessing and feeling the battle first-hand at the first round made her more aware than ever of the dangers the two of them will dance upon for the next few weeks, depending on their future performance.

In addition, there was also the warning from Ronan to worry about. His information stated that her opponent is a controversial one, possessing an array of powerful abilities in spite of the low rank stated on the contestant information. If the rumors are true, they might have to take more risks in order to win.

As much as she wanted to relax in the luxurious, yet simple room, she was unable to shake off her worry. Even the plush floor covered with soft blue carpet, the air conditioner making the room comfortable, and the sofas with small fluffy pillows are not enticing enough to help her relax.

The slight frays on the edges of the pillow and the few sunken parts of the carpet suggested that the room was well-used by the previous contestants who rested there, but she seemed to be the outlier, and the room did nothing to soothe her frayed nerves.

In contrast, Fiora seemed uncharacteristically bored.

While Claire was sprawled on the carpet, sighing every so often while staring at nothing and turning around once in a while, Fiora decided to spend the time stacking the pillows on the sofa into various forms of pillow fort, each one bigger and more elaborate than the last. In one instance, she even stacked the decorative paraphernalia on the table as part of the fort, causing the concerned Claire to ban her from touching those expensive goods in fear that the Incarnation broke something expensive and they have to pay it from their reward money. 

"Claire?"

"Hm?"

"Please stop worrying. I will secure our victory, no matter what."

"You say that, but still, I can't relax. Really appreciate the gesture though." Claire chuckled and got up from the carpeted floor. "Thanks. For now, we need the win, and as much as I don't want to be here, I have to."

"Is there any specific reason why you really wish to win?"

"Is your reason not enough? I remember you saying that you have to keep fighting to figure out the truth." Claire asked back. "Who told you that, anyway?"

"The smell of blood told me that this arena is no stranger to the throes of life and death, and partaking in such a dance poses a threat to your own well-being. I may not be particularly observant, Claire, however, even a blind animal can see your quivering gaze, trembling palms, and worried frown in each battle we face, so… why?" Fiora stopped playing around with the pillows, and jumped up onto her handiwork to relax. 

The sight of a robotic, mostly silent fighter, sitting and relaxing in a pillow fort was almost funny.

"Why do you insist of continuing on?" Fiora raised her right eyebrow.

"Mostly the money, to be honest." Claire shrugged. "It was thanks to Ronan we got the info to find you, but there was also our stroke of luck that the rumor about you turned out correct... Or was our success guaranteed from the start?" Claire looked a bit lost in thought, her gaze indicating that she was thinking about something else.

"Perhaps." Fiora replied, dodging the question. "I will not question the whims of fate or the machinations of the observers above us, but perhaps we were linked in a way."

"Have you remember anything about yourself?"

Fiora shook her head. "Bits and pieces. I am afraid that I remember naught but smells and voices, along with colored lights. Nothing helpful in ascertaining my own origins."

Claire stared at her companion in worry, while opening her mouth and closing it as if she wanted to ask something else.

"Please do not fret, Claire. As of now, I have no intention of pursuing the matter further, and as a being bonded to you, your safety and wishes are my sole priority."

"Thanks, I guess." After gaping for some time, Claire settled on a simple answer. 

With impeccable timing, the gates finally opened, saving the two of them from another session of awkward conversation. The hallway still looked dark as ever, and blazing heat radiating from high noon sun shining atop the arena fed into Claire's apprehension once more.

She steeled herself, gripped her knuckles, and looked at Fiora. Her burned hand, even though still bandaged, has completely dried, leaving her with a sufficiently tough scab.

Fiora nodded and jumped up from her pillow fort, leaving a messy pile behind her.

Both of them walked out, and upon stepping outside, Claire wiped the beads of sweat quickly forming on her forehead. In contrast, Fiora seemed really comfortable, and she sighed in relief while stretching her muscles. 

"From the left side, we have the bold newcomer, Claire Saphira and her partner, the Divine-rank Fiora!"

Cheers erupted from the audience seats, almost loud enough to drown out the jeers coming from some groups. It was no secret that gambling on Death Matches is a highly established entertainment, with many lucky bookmarkers raking in a profit thanks to the enthusiasm of the betting community. To save face, the law enforcement made several arrests, but it was clear as day that some has partaken in the business.

A staggering sum of money rides on the result of this game of life and death.

"The pair's bravery and ingenuity earned them victory in the first round! Now, will they win again this time? Or will they fail, even as the odds are stacked in their favor? Give a round of applause to our contestants on the right, the fan-favorite Vio Lunette, better known as Luna, and the little witch, Venefica!"

What the hell?!

The roaring applause of the audience became muted, and Claire's gaze snapped towards the other side of the arena, right where the dark hallway for the second team stands. Her mind was screaming, she had no desire to fight those who helped her before in a game of life and death.

Sensing her apprehension, Fiora held Claire's left shoulder and gave a reassuring squeeze.

As expected, the bespectacled woman and the small child walked out of the other hallway, their expression calm without a hint of fear or apprehension.

"In the previous match, the little witch has beaten overwhelming odds, and she won even though her opponent was strong enough to overwhelm her! Now, will the pair win again in the face of Fiora's overwhelming statistical power?"

"We meet again, Claire." Luna said, and gave her a small smile.

"In the end, even after what you did on that incident a few days ago, we still have to fight, huh…"

During the conversation, Venefica has taken off her binding chain once again, and she flew around the arena, leaving a trail of citrus scent mixed with cocoa for the audience. 

Luna shook her head. "Don't worry about it, we made a promise to your partner over there." She gestured at Fiora, who nodded in response. "But, we still have to give them a good show, don't we?"

"Now, the event you are waiting for has come! Ten!"

"Nine!"

"Eight!"

"How... Exactly do you plan to do that?" Claire asked.

Luna laughed, a hyena-like laugh that sounds ill fitting for a woman with such an elegant appearance and mannerism. "Consider it target practice... With a small twist. Are you ready, Fiora?"

Fiora nodded, removed her glowing chain, and gave it to the still bewildered Claire. The ashen girl's face still looked as flat as ever

"Three!"

"Two!"

"One!"

Right after the countdown ends, Venefica swirled around in the air and landed, before jabbing the pointed end of her spear into the ground. A rumbling earthquake spread throughout the arena, past the protective barriers, and shook the seats, before a colossal golem made of blue-white metal rose up from the cracked ground. 

The golem possessed a pair of blades in place of hands, decorated with what could be described as X-shaped wing-like projections on the back. The decoration looked even more intimidating with the glint of wicked spikes lining the edges. Meanwhile, the face of the golem was featureless, the blue top half and white bottom half and edges giving the impression of a robot wearing an oddly-shaped visor.

Fiora gripped her knuckles, and four metallic chains appeared, ready to strike.

"Calm down, I'm called many things, but certainly not 'liar'." Luna smiled at Venefica. "Venny, if you please? You remember, right?"

"Of course, big sis!" 

Several sets of red rings appeared on the colossi, invisible to the audience but clear to Fiora and Claire.

"These are the weak spots. You only need several good hits to take them all down, think you can manage?" Luna smiled.

Claire nodded.

"Shall we, then?" Luna jumped and sat next to Venefica, flying with the aid of the magical spear.

"Go, Fiora! Focus on attack!" Claire shouted, and without further ado, Fiora launched herself towards the top of the golem. The giant was huge, its height more nine meters tall and almost enough to reach the top of the protective barrier. Claire shouted some random, taunting words, and Venefica, realizing what Claire wanted, made the giant turn towards the girl.

Fiora, while descending from the jump, extended all four of her chains, attempting to restrain the giant with two while trying to stab the armor with the other two. The giant only became enraged, however, one chain hit right in the center of the indicated red rings near the shoulder, creating a smoldering wound penetrating the thick, metallic armor of the illusionary golem.

Without knowledge of the planned deception shared between the four contestants, the audience cheered at the scene presented before them. Some whistling in adoration and some cheering for Venefica to step up her game.

Dust and sand spread throughout the place with every movement of the golem, but the scent of citrus mixed with cocoa kept on lingering, refreshing yet persistent.

With the left shoulder wounded, the giant's left arm movement slowed down, still a bit fast but noticeably lagging compared to the right arm.

Claire kept on running in spite of the hot weather, stopping for scant few seconds every so often to wipe the sweat on her forehead and face. Her breaths sounded short and labored, but she showed no other signs of fatigue, and she kept weaving her way around the strikes of the giant.

In short order, Fiora struck the smoldering shoulder several times in succession, all her chains focused on the hole she created with the first strike. Soon after, blazing heat and fire tore clean through the hole, and one arm, blackened at one end, fell down with a loud thump, before disappearing into small motes of scattered white light.

Too focused on the small victory, Claire slowed down, and paid for it with a stinging wound to the left arm. The wound looked clean and shallow, a contrast to the massive blade that created it.

"Focus, Claire." Luna chided from above the flying spear, while Venefica gave a small, apologetic smile while scratching the back of her head. "We have a deal, but we do have to keep them off our back, don't we? I hate the hassle that we'll both get if I get accused of rigging the match." Luna glanced at the contestant seats. "They can be a bunch of vicious fanatics."

Claire nodded, bit her bottom lip, and started running again while wincing from the pain of sweat wetting the fresh wound. Meanwhile, Fiora used her chains to try burning a hole through the indicated area around the giant's feet, attempting to topple and limit its movements.

"They certainly are an odd pair." Claire muttered, trying to distract herself from the pain on her arm. "After that incident, now they made a deal with Fiora? What exactly are they playing here?"

Claire was unable to think of a scenario where the team flying next to the colossi were able to convince the ashen girl to do something for them. Fiora was far too silent, and even Claire found the girl intimidating and odd at times.

Clang!

Clang!

Clang!

The sound of metal colliding on metal rang throughout the place.

Fiora's flurry of heated chains kept attacking without relent, and finally, the right leg of the metallic giant broke off, torn with a blackened edge much like the broken arm. Without adequate support to keep it standing, the golem had to take an odd position. Now, it looked like a human with 'taking a knee' position.

The restricted movement gave Claire some relief, and she leaned near the edge of the arena to catch her breath. The golem's fall, along with the broken leg, stirred up a storm of dust, and visibility were massively reduced in accordance.

"Fiora!" Claire screamed as loud as she could. "End this now!"

Fiora nodded upon hearing the command, and she ran closer to both Venefica and Luna. The two opponents were descending, no doubt preparing for another attack. Close to the ground, the two jumped, and Venefica lifted her spear up.

"Somniferum Ga-"

Before the little witch finished her words, a red, heated blur whished past, and a shallow wound opened on the side of Luna's neck. The string holding the necklace with the Death Match symbol were cut off, right before disappearing along with the blur.

"Very well. Then, I will keep my words, just as you both did."

Luna touched her collarbone, feeling the symbol necklace disappear, and both turned towards the direction of the blur. Fiora stood several meters away from them, her back towards the two, and the necklace held by the string on the edge of the claws on her gauntlet.

"We have a deal, Luna. As long as you do not intend to betray Claire, I shall be your ally."

Fiora lifted up the necklace just as the dust clears away, showing off the mark symbolizing their victory.


	15. Reduction

The audience was stunned silent for several moments, and some gaped in a mixture of awe and shock at the fallen golem. Within moments, both the golem and the broken leg disappeared into white motes of light.

Luna gave the chain back to Venefica, and the witch reverted back into her childlike form, aqua hair disappearing into black, while her aqua eyes remain the same. Similar to the golem, the spear and witch attire disappeared into white motes of light, leaving a small girl with boyish-cut black hair and wearing a simple white dress behind.

Fiora walked back to Claire's side while holding the necklace. She gave the necklace to Claire and received the chain back, her gauntlets and armor disappearing under the influence of the chain. The small crystals holding up her hair into twintails disappeared along with her attire, and she returned into the form of the gray-eyed girl Claire felt more familiar with.

"That was an intense groundbreaking battle!"

Claire winced at the choice of pun.

"Give a round of applause to both sides, they gave it everything they had! Venefica and Luna pushed back their opponent with all they have, and even the Divine-rank Fiora, along with her partner, were pushed to the edge! Congratulations to the winner, Claire and Fiora! A reward of 100 thousand points have been deposited to Claire's card, and 30 thousand points-"

Claire tuned out the announcement, and looked at Fiora.

"What exactly did you do behind me, Fiora?" Claire asked right after the Incarnation returned into her normal form. Her tone carried a slight, accusatory edge.

Fiora shook her head. "Nothing too drastic, Claire. There was no cause of concern as they merely requested my aid. Yesterday, several minutes before the fight you witnessed began in earnest, they approached your place with the intent of asking for my help. I was about to refuse, however, the scale tipped in their favor with the untimely arrival of Deci and Oscar, and I have judged that the best course of action is to accept their offer."

"What is this offer exactly?" 

"That I would become their ally, in exchange for their aid against Oscar and Deci on the incident several days ago, and a victory in the Death Match."

Claire sighed and rubbed her forehead, chiding herself for not giving too much thought to the Death Match-related information. She relied on Ronan for that, and most likely he assumed that Claire has at least looked up some information about the battles.

"Count me in, I'll help as well." Claire nodded at Fiora and looked at Luna and Venefica's general direction. "After all you did, I'll feel guilty. Thanks a lot, by the way."

"Thanks a lot, as well." Luna nodded. "I'll contact you later."

Without giving Claire and Fiora a chance to reply, the two disappeared, leaving the scent of citrus and several flower petals in their wake. Claire decided to go back through the hallway and get out from the place. After all the running, her legs felt like they could collapse on themselves at any moment, and as the adrenaline rush cooled down, the stinging in her arm felt worse by the minute.

The two of them rested near the entrance to the arena, and before long, they saw Ivanna and Ronan walking out. When they saw Claire and Fiora waiting, Ivanna ran as fast as she could, while Ronan approached them with calmer strides.

"Congrats, you two! You won the second round!" Ivanna shouted while running, and flashed a giddy smile towards the two.

Ronan patted Claire's shoulders and smiled. "Thank you. That battle was awesome."

"You're welcome, both of you." Claire smiled. "I'm glad you liked it. As usual, we'll share the winning on the agreed rates, alright?"

The two nodded.

"Claire, you look like you just ran from a pack of lions or something." Ronan said. "Let's grab a drink from around here."

"That's not too far from the truth and you know that... But sure. Consider it a celebration of sorts. Let's find a place to relax, my treat." Claire smiled. "I haven't thanked you guys yet for the help here and there, anyway."

"Come on, Claire!" Ivanna gave her friend a playful elbow to the ribs. "You act like we're holding a gun to yout throat. Pay us, or else!"

"Don't we, technically? I mean, without my information…" Ronan flashed a mischievous smirk.

"Ronan!"

"Ow! You don't need to hit it that hard! I was just messing around!"

The mirthful feeling dancing around the three of them was clear, a mix of relief from making it out in one piece, and joy for the chance to compete again in the next round. Even Fiora, with her unchanging expression and gaze, watched the banter with something resembling interest.

The sun has started to dip towards the west from atop the sky, and retreated behind a blanket of thick clouds, giving way to the refreshing breeze of the afternoon. The breeze helped dry off and cool Claire's drenched clothes, while her sopping wet hair stubbornly stayed put. 

Ivanna and Ronan walked in front of Fiora and Claire, chatting about what they saw while laughing. Meanwhile, Claire glanced at Fiora, who is busy looking around the crowded streets. 

The ashen girl made a poor conversation partner, her odd lack of enthusiasm, combined with lacking memories doesn't do her any favors. With the chain safely tucked beneath her long-sleeved white hoodie, she looked like an ordinary teenager.

It was certain that the anonymity worked in their favor. As far as they know, the world's attitude towards Incarnation ranges from hostile to overzealous admiration-

"I don't have any money to give! Get away from me!"

The man's angered voice sounded clear and shrill, causing those around them to look at its source with curiosity. A middle-aged man was shooing away a figure that looked like a young man wearing a tattered brown cloak.

The young man did not put up his hood, giving the four, along with everyone in the vicinity a clear view of his face. 

The young man looked gaunt and malnourished, his cheekbones visible and both eyes sunken, while his gray hair were cut in an odd angle in several spots, as if someone grabbed and pulled clumps of his hair and called it a haircut. Were the man in a better condition, his soft blue eyes along with his gray hair would make him look striking.

"No! Wait! I'm not asking for your money!"

"We shouldn't linger here." Ronan said, glancing back at Claire and Fiora. "If someone discovers her true nature, we might get swarmed, or worse, stalked."

"You're right, the scene has attracted too much attention." Claire looked away, and started walking closer to her friends.

"Fiora?"

Fiora stared at the young man, unperturbed even as the crowds banded together to pull away the enraged middle-aged man. Her gaze looked far more expressive than usual, a fixation mixed with curiosity and…

Apprehension?

"Fiora?" Claire called out for the second time, tapping the ashen girl's shoulder in an attempt to gain her attention. 

After the crowds started to disperse, and Claire called out for the third time, Fiora finally looked away, shaking her head as if to clear her thoughts before responding and staring at Claire with her gray eyes.

"Yes, Claire?"

"Something wrong? You seem fixated with him." Claire asked. "You never saw homeless people before?"

The question sounded odd, however, considering Fiora's condition, it was hard to blame the ashen girl for being so clueless. Fiora shook her head in response.

"Nothing in particular, please disregard my earlier actions." Fiora answered and glanced at the man one more time, before taking Claire's hand and dragging her behind, while running towards the direction Ivanna and Ronan disappeared to.


	16. Retrace

"He has made his move."

The woman sat on to the windowsill of a small and dirty house, the rotten wood somehow still holding together in spite of the weight perched right on top of it. The woman was facing outside, letting her wild, mid-back length brown hair be ruffled by the cool afternoon wind and closed her emerald eyes while sighing in comfort. Her clothing looked loose-fitting, further enhancing the wild image her appearance suggested.

"I know." A man answered, tossing his coat aside and decided to wear a slightly better one. "Reported as missing person, huh... I wonder why the police kept taking cases related to Incarnation, while it's obvious that they can't even inconvenience a dedicated enough D-rank unless a member has an Incarnation of their own."

"Regardless of your opinion, what's your next move, Terry?" The woman jumped back from the window, facing the white-haired man sitting on the deflated sofa, his left leg perched on the table, and holding a plastic container filled with coffee. "We can't let him… no, them, run rampant as they please, can't we? Remember the terms of our promise."

"I know, and I intend on honoring that." Terry sipped his drink, right after answering, and sighed as if the ice-cold bitter coffee was enough to cool the deepest recesses of his head. "It's been some time since we did a phantom thief stint, don't we?" Terry smirked. "Shall we?"

"Oh, I like the sound of that." The emerald-eyed woman sat on the sofa across him, her gaze twinkling with mischief and glee, and her shark-like teeth bared in a grin too large to be natural. "Such a confident statement. Forgot the catastrophic failure two years ago already?"

"Of course not," Terry narrowed his eyes. "I have another plan in place."

"Heh! Bold claim, bossling." The woman snorted. "Though, I can't deny I'm very curious."

"Then, look forward to it, dearest _Princess._ " Terry said, his voice mocking and playful, before he winked and took a final sip from his cup. He tossed the empty cup out through the window, and it landed right inside the trash can.

The woman stood up and walked deeper into the house. 

"Right or wrong, true or false... Oh, Emissary of Order, how empty and devoid of knowledge about your subjects you are... For the sake of the small haven I have created for them, I will ensure your downfall."p

The woman muttered, as she slashed the air with her right hand. A spatial rift, pitch-black and filled with stars, opened in front of her and she stepped in, disappearing without a trace and leaving Terry to his thoughts.

"Well..." Terry mutterer, while holding a stack of paper with a photo of Oscar pinned on the left corner. "Time for a walk, I guess."

\--

Claire looked up from her book, the old thing yellowed and full of dog ears, and stared at Luna and Venefica. Since the match, the two made sure to visit once every several days, in order to talk or even spend the night in Claire and Ivanna's apartment.

The room looked much better overall, the place less messy and the shabby furniture replaced with new ones. The wooden table in the living room were replaced with brand-new table made of glass and metal, while the old decorations were cleaned or thrown out. The beds were already replaced with better ones, a single bed for Ivanna's room and a double for Claire and Fiora.

Claire looked at the empty space in the back corner, half considering to put a small bed there for the two guests if they end up visiting often enough.

"Missing? Are you serious?"

"I'm not one for jokes." Luna answered, while gripping the edges of her dress. "After the incident in the garden, no one knows where Deci and Oscar is. From what I've heard, they were last seen near the cluster of building around the residential area, before a blinding light took them."

"Blinding light took them?" Claire scrunched her eyebrows.

"Yep, as odd as it sounds, everyone said the two disappeared after the light subsided." Luna replied, her tone grave. "This isn't good, there's a chance that someone witnessed the fight, someone with the ability to bypass the measures Venny set in there. Another problem is the fact that this case has been reported, which means, more people will get involved… The death toll will get worse."

"Eh? As far as I know, don't the law enforcement have some people contracted with Incarnation in their ranks?" Claire slammed shut the book on her lap. 

"Yeah, but remember," Luna patted Venefica's head, tousling the little witch's black hair. "Venefica is a B-rank, which means, we are dealing with something similar or even higher than B, or possibly even a Divine."

Claire opened her mouth, about to answer.

"Do remember that your partner is an exception, not the norm, and so is Venefica, to a lesser extent." Luna cut in. "From what I know, there are few known Divine rankers, to the extent you can really only count them on one hand. A-rank is slightly more common, and the same applies for B, C, and D. From the information available on the forums, out of all Incarnation known from Death Match battles, incidents, or just discovery from dedicated stalkers," Luna curled her lips in distaste.

"Divines are 0.8%, A-rank are 11%, B-rank are 20%, and the rest are a mixture of C and D." She continued. "Though your partner is a bit odd even with standards of someone without a memory, her power levels can't be denied. You're one of the lucky few to partner with a Divine."

"Claire, are you finished with my 150 Hues of Yello-" Ivanna stopped upon seeing Luna and Venefica sitting in the living room. "Oh, hello, you two. What's up?"

"Ivanna, we have a problem, call Ronan as soon as possible. I'll give you the gist later, alright?" Claire gave the book back to her.

"Alright, Claire. Give me a bit." Ivanna nodded without hesitation and ran back to her room.

"And why are you two telling me this, exactly?" Claire asked. 

"The short version is, to help you and..." Luna and Venefica glanced at the door. "To warn you."

"Big sister, we can't say much right now, but something big is going on." Venefica stood up, approached Claire, and looked at the back, right towards the apartment window. "The only choices here are stay ignorant and know just enough to avoid stumbling upon it by accident, or be in the know and be dragged in a conflict that requires you to risk your life for a cause you may or may not believe in."

"How about your promise with Fiora?"

Luna shook her head. "We are here, safe with a semi-permanent shelter protected by a powerful Incarnation, that is enough. Asking you to risk any more would be a fool's errand."

"All done, Claire. He'll be here today, as soon as the situation allows it." Ivanna came back bringing a jar of cookies along with two tall glasses of water, and offered it to the two guests. "Plus, how many times did I tell you to bring out something for Miss Luna and Venny, or your guests in general?"

"Sorry, sorry. I keep on forgetting about that. Where's Fiora?" Claire asked.

"Outside, she told me she wanted to look around, before jumping off from the window." Ivanna shrugged. "You were busy talking, probably you didn't hear the window being opened."

"… Why didn't you tell her to use the door?" Claire asked, incredulous.

"One, she jumped before I had the chance to say anything. Two, probably she doesn't want to interrupt? Besides," Ivanna gave a slight smile. "If she can throw you around and take down a giant, a three-story building jump isn't going to kill her. No offense, you two." Ivanna turned at both Luna and Venefica.

"None taken," Luna answered and gave Claire a meaningful smile. Meanwhile Venefica was busy munching the cookies while letting her legs move and dangle on the sofa. "Oh, by the way, please tell that friend of yours to be careful of the metal dragon."

"Metal dragon?" Claire and Ivanna looked at Luna, before looking at each other and raising their eyebrows.

"He'll know, I'm sure. Now…"

Luna looked at Venefica. The little witch nodded and removed her chain, lifting up her spear as soon as it appeared. The smell of citrus permeated the air.

"Wait!"

"Do you need something else, big sis?" Venefica said, and the smell immediately dispersed. 

"Can I…" Claire shook her head and looked at Luna. "Can we be in contact, at least?"

Luna sighed, considered it for a moment, and looked at her companion. Venefica nodded and lifted up her spear, creating a black string necklace decorated with a small, flower shaped pendant in the air. The small, vivid purple flower looked fragile much like a real flower, its four petals fading to a brilliant white near the base, and exuding a slight citrus aroma Claire has come to associate with the pair. 

With a wave of the spear, the necklace floated to Claire, before finally resting on her outstretched hand. The flower seems to radiate its own scent separate from the witch. Right as the necklace landed on Claire's hand, Venefica sighed in relief, showing that the task was such a burden.

"This is a special necklace made with Venny's condensed magic. With this, I will always know where you are, and help from afar to some extent if the situation requires it. If you really need us to come, take off one petal. We are not in a favorable position as of now, Claire, and thus, we can't really provide anything more concrete than this as of now." 

"Coming here is risky, for both of us and for you three, but we believe you won't do anything… undesirable." Venefica added. "Big sisters, we have overstayed our welcome. See you later."

The moment Venefica lifted her spear, both the witch and Luna disappeared from the couch, only leaving the necklace behind.

\--

"An Incarnation that is capable of using light-type attacks, huh..." Ronan said, raising his eyebrows. "I don't think there's anything prominent from the past 6 Death Matches with the ability you described, though I'm not too sure myself… That aside, I'm more concerned about the disappearance. If there's something similar, maybe I can understand this whole thing better."

Minutes after Venefica and Luna's disappearance, Fiora returned to their room, thankfully choosing to enter from the door this time instead of entering through the window she jumped down from. Her return was followed with Ronan's arrival, and the three proceeded to talk about the current problems.

"Also, another thing, in light of the whole Luna pairing incident…"

"Come on, Ronan, that was one time." Claire grimaced, remembering what felt like endless grief from Ronan when he discovered that she did not know anything about her opponent. "Besides, you didn't tell me their names. Who the heck talks like they're relaying a code like that?!"

"But seriously, Claire!" Ivanna said, while sitting at the armrest of the sofa next to Claire's. "A reasonable person would know to check their enemy profiles before, you know, the actual risking-your-life business?"

"Van, you are not helping!"

"Information is power, and were your luck failed you, you would have suffered a serious disadvantage." Fiora added, her gaze even and nonchalant.

"Fiora, not you too." Claire snorted. "Alright, alright, I'm sorry okay? That wouldn't happen again, I promise."

"Alright, for next round the names of your opponents are Sebastian Earhart and Lilien, a C-rank Incarnation with flight-related abilities… Well, maybe not quite. See for yourself."

Ronan offered his phone, and upon receiving it, Claire saw a paused video depicting a clear blue sky.

Fiora moved closer, and Claire decided to wait, only starting the video when the ashen girl settled on a comfortable position. The video depicted a blurry, blue haired girl jumping around the sky. Her movements were less of a flight, and more of a semi-parkour as the way she moved made it look like there were invisible platforms scattered around.

"It's a C-ranker, listed as such in the Death Match community forums so I believe it's pretty accurate." Ronan nodded.

"C-rank shouldn't pose too much problems, at least." Ivanna added. "It'll be less taxing than the other two."

"I do hope you two didn't end up jinxing me." Claire rubbed her forehead.


	17. Retrace (2)

"Anyway, Lilien seems to have a limited control of wind element, enough to help her with mobility. My advice for this type of speed-dependent Incarnation to be careful, play along with their speed but don't tire yourself out and catch her in midair."

"What about having Claire stand as bait, while Fiora deal with restraining?" Ivanna suggested. "I feel that while avoiding attacks are important, Fiora's weapon is also a binding weapon, and since she has four chains, you can still use three for attack if you focus one on binding."

"Using Claire as stationary bait… that can be done as the handler has the necklace required for one of the victory conditions, giving the opponent a good incentive, but if Fiora can't restrain at the right moment, she might suffer heavy injuries and even die." Ronan shook his head. 

"Though maybe, considering her weapon..." Ronan swiped the screen on his phone several times, before stopping at a picture of the blue-haired girl. The picture was clearer than the video, allowing both Claire and Fiora to discern the bone-white horns atop her head, along with the similarly colored scaly tail. The girl held a glowing, pure white katana on her right hand, each finger tipped with delicate claws. "Distance might play to your advantage."

"Alright, I'll see about that." Claire nodded.

"Also, I beg you, do please check the community website once in a while, I sent the link in private message." Ronan added, while standing. "I'll try to find out more about the light-based Incarnation, and if they have ever been in a Death Match, there's bound to be something."

"Where are you going?" Ivanna glanced at him.

"Back home, of course." Ronan answered. "Don't worry too much about the next Death Match, just be careful. That guy Oscar might just be somewhere we can't reach, or he got a friend in obscure places. Stay safe, you three."

"Wait, Ronan. If this escalates, please consider staying here for a while, that way Fiora can also protect you." Claire said, and Fiora nodded in agreement. "Don't endanger yourself."

"I'll be okay, don't worry." Ronan nodded back. "Thanks for the offer."

"Please, as insufferable as you can be, you're still a friend."

"Hey!"

"What are you guys, five?" Ivanna slapped her forehead.

"Okay," Ronan stood up, walked to the door, and smiled at them upon opening it. "See you."

The door was closed, leaving the three of them to their own thoughts.

\--

"Have you found him?" Right as Terry stepped into his humble home, a rip in space appeared, and the woman with messy hair walked out. Her piercing green eyes were narrowed in disdain, making the glow from them even more intimidating than usual. Her clothing has changed, and she now wore a fancy brown kimono topped with a brown, furred scarf. The green patterns on her kimono seemed to twist and move in accordance to her movements.

"Nah." Terry shook his head and sighed. "It seems that whatever happened, he took him far from our usual perimeter. How about you? Did you find a clue?"

"No, but I found the other one." The gleam in her eyes were alight with happiness. "More like, what remains of him." Her gaze immediately shifted, turning vicious, and she sat on the sofa across Terry.

"Remains?! Did they really-"

"Yes, they did. They took everything and left a husk, remains made of haphazard, glued pieces they dared to call a person. The nerve of those bastards." The woman, in a contrast from her usual carefree attitude, looked absolutely fuming, a hair's breadth away from thrashing the place she stood on and its vicinity, but she settled on digging her clawed fingers through the tattered edges of the couch. "We have to act. Fast."

"I have a possible lead, though. Today wasn't a waste."

"Continue." The woman nodded.

"Word from the streets did mention of an insane person who kept screaming some odd word." Terry nodded. "Heard it from the bar patrons."

"Ha! Who said they wouldn't get dr-"

"Outside, grimalkin. In case you're wondering, my impulse control is still mostly intact, and it's not like I can afford to get plastered right now." Terry interrupted, took off his coat, and sat on the sofa while gesturing at their surroundings. "Not while he sits on that throne."

"I'll be waiting then, bossling." The woman said, grinning and exposing rows of triangular teeth. "Come on, you wouldn't disappoint me, now would you?" 

"Do you even need to ask? You, somehow, always see something fun in everything I do. Unless I happen to keel over and fail at, you know, breathing, you will have put up with me for quite a while yet."

"When are you planning to use that morsel of information you got, then?"

"Tomorrow, duh. Unless I can have a magic night vision, or I manage to convince you it's not boring, I'm not getting anywhere today. Enough about that, you checked the victim, did you also check his current position?"

"He's awful slow at catching that rabbit, that's for sure. He'll be occupied for a while yet." The woman answered. 

"Yep, time is of the essence. If you're in the mood, do look for him, ok?"

"Sure, sure, anything for you, dearest." The woman hummed, splitting open space to disappear yet again.

"There she goes, again..." Terry sighed. "I really should hurry."

\--

The next day rolled by, and thankfully, this time Claire took Ronan's exasperated advice to heart and used the link he gave her to look for more information. Ivanna, ever the helpful one, cooked for the three of them, as Claire and Fiora were both too engrossed in the discussions and information stored within the forums.

"Jonathan Earhart, an obscure handler from a remote village, or at least that's what the sources claim. He's got no internet presence, so information about both him and his Incarnation is rather minimal, only from amateur videos and people with enough time to try stalking people without getting caught." Claire said. "What do you think, Fiora?"

The cracked phone screen showed the full-body photo of a man dressed in simple clothes, his hair spiky yet neatly combed, and his build a bit above average. 

"I am unable to give you any useful ideas, as there is next to nothing that can help us ensure the accuracy of what we are seeing here.." Fiora shook her head. "However, one thing I am certain of is that he has seen his fair share of work." 

"That is… random. How did you even come to that?"

"His hands seem to bear multiple scars, some deep enough to mar his skin with permanent scars," Fiora replied. "Most likely, all of it was caused by his own mistakes, it was a wonder his hand is still intact."

"So, it's going to be harder to find the opportunity to grab the necklace without depending on you."

Fiora nodded in response.

"Damn, I can't get any rest around here, can I?" Claire sighed, her shoulders slumped in defeat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a callout note from the author to the author: Get on the action already


	18. Restrain

The sky has just started to darken, the gentle rays of the afternoon giving way to the soothing darkness of a clear evening. The lack of clouds gave any passerby that cared to look the chance to gaze upon occasional dots of stars, the rest still obscured by the city lights and smoke from various sources. 

Cool breeze helped Ronan cool himself down as he walked along the sidewalk, thinking of what happened just now. As much as they have their own share of differing opinions, at the end of the day they were still friends and allies.

A beep shocked him from his thoughts, and as expected, the notification showed Claire's name, along with a photo of a bear plush as her profile picture.

[Hey, I forgot to ask, is there really a metal dragon in the rounds?]

Ronan scrunched his eyebrows before replying.

[There was, she's out from the picture, don't worry. Anything wrong?]

[I don't know, just... I heard that we have to be careful. Can't verify it, but caution and all.]

Ronan opened the browser app on his phone, copied a link, and sent the link to Claire. [If you are too worried, here you go. She's rather strong, sure, but not much of a threat.]

Ronan pocketed his phone, and walked back to his apartment while glancing around. The streets were noisy, but not crowded, an understandable phenomenon considering the air felt rather cold. Were it not for his thicker clothes, he would probably be shivering on the way back. 

\--

Meanwhile, back in Claire's apartment, the situation felt more lively, the three occupants spending their time without concern for the time being.

"So, this is the dragon... Well, that's one pretty clothing-"

"You mean, lack of it." Ivanna huffed and cut in, while eating some snacks. 

The smell of cheese and corn filled the small room, coming from the still-hot fries stacked on a separate plate from several pieces of homemade tiny cakes. "Well, at least, I hope that it's just the Incarnation form and not the everyday form she uses."

"… I hope not, unless she is a masochist and enjoys the scorn." Claire gave her friend a sideways glance. "But you do have a point. Who the hell thinks that much armor is going to protect her?"

"… Perhaps she herself." Fiora piped up.

Awkward silence.

"… Fine, I'm not disputing that." 

Ivanna laughed. "As they say, the less armor a fighter has, the more defensive they are."

"Since when did you become familiar with memes?"

"Nah, just something I've heard once from the 'net. Let's be honest though, I'd assume a lot of the audience would be enthralled by her assets, considering, you know, that chainmail bikini outfit. Might as well be naked." Ivanna huffed. "What should we do for the moment, though?"

"We should wait for Ronan's report and see how things go. If there's nothing bad happening and Oscar is just out and about somewhere people can't reach, we can breathe easy, but if something is happening, we can start preparing. I've scoured several good places from the net, so we can just get ready to move if circumstances calls for it."

"How about Venefica and Luna?"

"Don't worry, the necklace. I'll just break one petal to contact her about it if the situation comes to that."

\--

"Do you know him?"

"Kid, for the last time, no. There's no way we'll miss a fellow wearing gaudy hood like this." A man huffed, before taking a long drag from his cigar. "Advice? Go away from here before the dogs see you as an easy meal. Unless you have some sort of contact or you are stronger than you look, go."

The man pocketed the sketch and rushed out of the dilapidated building tucked in the corner of the alley, gripping his knuckles until his fingers turned white.

"Looking for something?"

The figure leaned on the mossy and cracked wall, his fur coat making his body seem bigger than it actually is. His face were obscured with a simple mask, only giving the exhausted man a view of white hair and a pair of amber eyes. He looked a bit on the thin, lanky side, but tall, creating an intimidating illusion when paired with the coat.

"First, let's get out of here." Without waiting for an answer, the figure looked to the direction of the main road. "This is not a good place to discuss things over tea."

"Where are you taking me?" The man asked, caution lacing his voice.

"Not anywhere you don't want, I assure you." The man started walking, ignoring the doubtful stare. "Let's be off."

Stunned, he chose to follow.

Outside the alleys, the musty smell permeating the road gradually disappeared, letting them enjoy the crisp, cool air of early evening. They both exhaled in relief, glad to be out from the dreadful place.

"So, you're the one called Oscar Roveline?" The white-haired man started, his voice partly obscured by the sound of passing cars and background noises. 

"Yes, and you are-"

"Terry. Just call me that." Terry cut in, facing the shorter man, and giving him a triumphant smirk. "If you are looking for your partner, I can help, though it won't be an instant. So, tell me, just what in the holy names happened back then?"

"… I remember nothing, only gold and white, and the fact I woke up on the rooftop on somewhere near R78 area." Oscar said while shrugging. "Why are you asking me this?"

"To help." Terry smiled. "Let's just say we have the same goal."

Terry muttered something, and to his surprise she actually decided to answer, tearing a rip in space on the darker spot of the alley to avoid detection. Green eyes gleaming in the darkness was the first thing they saw, before the light from the street illuminated the wild woman and her unnatural shark-toothed grin. Before Oscar could open his mouth to speak, a green rope made of light restrained him, tying both his hands behind his back.

"Besides, I have the means to force you, but I won't... So, shall we get right to business?"


End file.
